Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1881 — HOW WASHINGTON DIED. [ARTICLE]

HOW WASHINGTON DIED.

An Illustration of the Heroic Treatment that Prevailed One Hundred Years Ago. By consulting the third volume of the Medical and Physical Journal published in Loudon, in the year 1800, by “T. Bradley, M. D , R. Battey, M. D., and A. A. Noehden, M. D..” there will be found on page 409 a description or report of the last illness of Washington, and the treatment given him. At present it is interesting as an example of too much doctoring, to say the least. It is as follows: Home time on the night of Friday’, the 10t.ii inst.,having been exposed to a rain on the preceding day, General Washington was attacked with an inflammatory affection of the upper part of the windpipe, called in technical language cynachet rauchcalis. The disease commenced with a violent ague, accompanied with some pain in the upper aud fore part of the throat, a sense of stricture in the same part, a cough, and a difficult rather than a painful deglutition, which was spon succeeded by fever and a quick and laborous respiration. The necessity of blood-letting suggested itself to the general; ht procured a bleeder in the neighborhood, who took from bis arm in the night twelve or fourteen ounces of blood.

He could not by any means be prevailed on by hie family to send for his attending physician till the following morning, who arrived at Mount Vernon at about 11 o’clock on Saturday. Discovering . the case to be highly alarming, and forseeiug the tendancy of the disease, two consulting pbyslans were immediately sent for, who arrived, one at 3:30 and the other at 4 o’clock iu the afternoon, lu the meantime were employed two pretty Copious bleedings, a blister was applied to the part effected, two doses of calomel were given, and an injection administered, which operated on the lower intestines, but all without preceptible advantage, the respiration becoming still more difficult and distressing. Upon the arrival of the first consulting physician it was agreed, as there were yet no signs of accumulation in the vessels of the lungs, to try the result of another bleeding, when about thirty-two ounces were drawn without the smallest apparent alleviation .of the disease. Vapors of vinegar and water were frequently inhaled; ten grains of calomel were given, succeeded by repeated doses of tartar emetic, amounting to five or six grains, with no other effect than a copious discharge from the bowels. The powers of life seemed now manifestly yielding to tlielorce of the disorder. Blisters were applied to the extremities, together with a cataplasm of vinegar and b an to the throat. Speaking, which was painful from tho beginning, now became almost impracticable. Respiration grew more and more contracted and imperfect till 11:30 on Saturday night, retaining the full possession of his intellect, when he expired without a struggle. He Wes fully impressed at the beginning of his complaint, as well as through every succeeding stage of it, that its conclusion would be mortal; submitting to the several exertions make for his recovery rather as a duty than from any expectation of their efficiency. .He considered the operations of death upon his system as coeval with disease; and, several hours before his death, after repeatea efforts to be understood, succeeded in expressing a desire that he might be permitted to die without interruption. During the short period of his illness he economized his time in the arragements of such few concerns as required his attention with the utmost serenity, and anticipated his approaching dissolution with every demonstration ol that equanimity for which his w’hole li’e had been so uniformly and singularly conspicious. J ames Clark, Attending Physician. Elisha Dicks, Consulting Physician