Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1900-03-05
HIS LAST ILLNESS.
Had He Lived To-Day Washington
Could Have Been Saved.


Col. Lear's story of the last illness
of Washington and the medical treat
mcnt he received is absorbing TO US
of The present day as it shows, Dy
contrast with modern methods. that.
had the general lived one hundred
years later in life might easily have
been saved. scarcely beyond doubt.
The cause of his death was stated
to be .oedematous affection OF the
windpipe." or, in layman's phrase,
watery swelling of the windpipe. The
trouble at first was ordinary quinsy
sore throat. which by the second day
had developed into membranous
Group, which. however, is rarely fatal
except to children
Those were the days of cupping and
bleeding. and Washington not only
placed himself in the hands OF his
doctors, but insisted, rather against
the judgment of his wife, that he be
bled. Within tYenty-four hours he
bled four times, losing the first time
only about half pint OF blood. &C
cording to the statement OF Col. Lear.
Washington exposed himself on
Thursday, December IL, to the inclem-
ency of the weather, and the next day
was taken sick Between and 3
o'clock or Saturday morning he was
seized with a chill, and asked that
Mr.. Rawlins, the overseer, be sent for
to bleed him, before DR.. Craik, whom
he asked to be summoned, could ar
rive. After day broke he was bled
in the arm. Watching the process,
Washington said: THE orifice is not
large enough" Mrs. Washington
begged that much blood might not be
taken, but Washington said, More.
More" Mrs. Washington, being still
uneasy, the process was stopped after
the loss of about half pint. In the
meantime DIR. Brown, of Port Tobac-
co, was sent for. BETWEEN and 3
o'clock DIR. Craik, who had arrived.
bled the patient, and again at IL
o'clock. DR.. Dick came at o'clock
and DIR. Brown soon after. DR.. Dick
consulted with DIR. Craik, and for the
fourth time the patient was bled.
The last hours of Washington are
described by Col. Lear in these words:
About 10 o'clock he made several
attempts to speak to me before he
could affect it, At length he said: 1
am just going; have me decently
buried and do not let my body be put
into the vault in less than three days
after | am dead
Il bowed assent, for I could not
speak. He then looked at me again.
and said. Do you understand me?
replied Yes. ''Tis WE'LL said he.
about 10 minutes before he ex-
pired (which was between 10 and IL
o'clock his breathing became easier:
he lay quietly; he withdrew his hand
from mine and felt his own pulse.
II saw his countenance change.
spoke to DR.. Craik, who sat by the
fire. He came to the bedside The
generals hand fell from his wrist.
took it in mine and put it in my bos.
ON. DR.. Craik put his hands over his
eyes and he expired without strug-
gle or a sigh"
In the room In which Washington
died in the second story of the man.
sion at Mount Vernon is the bed on
which he lay and nearly all the arti-
cles which were there at the last
scene. The bedstead is six feet
square with big mahogany posts. 1t
was made in New York ten years be-
fore. The only article belonging to
the bed which the Mount Vernon AS.
ISOLATION has not recovered for pres
eryation in the mansion is the bed
Quilt or comfortable" which covered
his dying body. This is in the posses.
sion of Mrs. Eyre, who. as told, is
the owner of the diary of Tobias Lear.
her grandfather. The quilt was made
by Mrs. Washington. In the centre is
a representation Of PENIS treaty with
the Indians, and at each corner sec
ton of some colonial print illustrating
an incident in the life of the young
nation.