Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-30
DEATH OF WASHINGTON.
Did he Bleed TO Death, or Die OF uedi-
cine or of the Disease-A Curious and
Antique Document.


The Hon. Z. E Chaplin, of this CITY.
has copy of the Dartmouth, Y. H,
Gazette, of the date of Monday. JAN
uary %, 1900, which contains a large
amount OF interesting matter relating
to the death of George Washington,
which had occurred on the 14th of
December, 1899, at Mt. Vernon. Yer
glnia-siX weeks previous to the date
of this publication. The sheet before
uscontained Gen. Lees funeral Grafton
on Washington, and also statement
OF the physicians of Washington re-
garding his illness, medical treatment
and death, which is of the highest in
terest. This statement is under date
OF Alexandria. Va, Dec. p 1899, and
is entitled: Particular Account of
the Illness and Death of General
Washington" 1t is as follows:
Some time in the night of FRIDAY.
the 18th inst, having been exposed to
a rain on the preceding day, General
Washington was attacked with an in
hammatory affection of the upper part
of the wind pipe, called in technical
language, cyRdnche trdchealis. The
>1ASSssSS Will Il
ague, accompanied with some pain in
the upper and fore part of the throat,
a sense of structure in the same part, a
cough, and difficult rather than a
painful deglutition, which were soon
succeeded by fever and quick
and laborious respiration. The
necessity of blood letting suggest
ing itself to the General, he
procured a bleeder in the neigh
korhood, and took from his arm. in
the night, II or IA ounces of blood
He could not by any means be prevail
ed on the family to send for the at
tending physician till the following
morning, who arrived at Mount Yer
non at about II o'clock on Saturday.
Discovering the case to be highly
alarming, and foreseeing the fatal
tendency of the disease, two consult
ing physicians were Immediately sent
for, who arrived, one at half after
three and the other at four o'clock in
the afternoon; in the meantime were
employed two pretty copious bleed
lngs, a blister was applied to the part
affected, two moderate doses of
AtlAOlHCA " SlNSll, duII I'LL IIlIGCIlOu
was administered, which operated
on the lower intestines: but all with
out any preceptible advantage, the
respiration becoming still more diff
cult and distressing. Upon the arrival
of the first of the consulting physi-
clans, it was agreed, as there were vet
no sign of accumulation in the
bronchial vessel of the lungs, to try
the result of another bleeding when
about 30 ounces of blood were drawn,
without the smallest apparent allevia-
ton of the disease. Napours of vim
egar and water were frequently in
hailed, ten grains of calomel were
given, succeeded By repeated doses of
emetic tartar, amounting in all to five
or SIX grains with no other affect
than copious discharge from the
bowels. The powers of life seemed
now manifestly yielding TO the force
of the disorder; blisters were applied
to the eXtremities, together with a
cataplasm of bran and vinegar to the
throat. Speaking, which was painful
from the beginning, now became al
most unpracticable; respiration grew
1AAOAS anu iIiOIS anu
feet, till half after II on Saturday
night, when, retaining the full pos
session of his intellect, he expired
without struggle.
He was fully impressed at the begin
ming of his complaint, as well as
through every succeeding stage of it,
that its conclusion would be mortal
submitting to the several exertions
made for his recovery rather as a duty
than from any expectation of their
efficacy. He considered the operation
of death upon his system as coeyal
with the disease; and several hours
before his death, after repeated efforts
to be understood, succeeded in ex-
pressing a desire that he might be per-
mitted to die without further Interrupt
ton.
During the short period of his i'll
ness, he economical his time III the
arrangement of such few concerns as
required his attention, with the ut
most serenity; and anticipated his APP
preaching dissolution with every
demonstration of that equanimity for
which his whole life has been so
uniformly and singularly conspic-
uous.
j. BRAIK, Attending Physician.
E. G. DICK, Consulting Physi-
clan.