Evening Star Newspaper, December 15, 1929, Page 109

—_— T_H_F.A_SUNDAY STAR, E\{ASHINGTON, D. €, DFCENIBER 15, 3 _ —— speak to Mr. Lear, who was with him nearly all the time, and at length he said: “I am just going. Have me decently buried and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead.” Mr. Lear bowed assent. He spoke again to Mr. Lear and said: “Do you understand me?” Mr. Lear replied: “Yes.” *'Tis well,” he said. About 10 minutes before he expired (which was 10:20 o'clock) his breathing became easier. He lay quietly; he withdrew his hand from Mr. Lear’s and felt his own pulse. “I saw his countenance change,” his secretary tells us. “I spoke to Dr. Craik, who sat by the fire. He came to the bedside. ‘The general’s ‘hand feil from his wrist. I took it in mine and pressed it to my bosom. Dr. Craik put his hands over his eyes and he expired without a struggle or a sigh.” While all was silent in grief Mrs. Washing- ton, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, asked Dr. Craik in a firm and. collected voice: “Is he gone?” The physician was unable to speak, but held up his hand as a signal that he was no more. “’Tis well,” said she, in the same voice; “all is now over; I shall soon follow him, I have no more trials to pass through.” AND thus the noble spirit of the illustrious Washington took its nciseless flight, Decem- ber 14, 1799. What Mr. Custis has to say regarding Wash- ington’s last minutes on earth are of added in- terest, since he was an eyewitness to all that transpired. .He tells us: “The patient bore his acute sufferings with manly fortitude and per- fect resignation to the Divine will; while, as the night advanced, it-became evident that he was sinking and he seemed fully aware that his ‘hour was nigh.' He inquired the time and it was answered. He spoke no more—the hand of death was upcn him and he was conscious that his ‘hour was come.’ With surprising self-pos- session he prepared to die. Composing his form at length and folding his hands upon his bosom —without a sigh—without a groan—the Father of His Country expired quietly as though an infant died. * ¢ *” Continuing, Mr. Custis says: “It may be asked, And why was the ministry of religion wanting to shed its peaceful and benign luster upon the last hours of Washington? Why was he, to whom the observance of sacred things were ever primary duties through life, without their consclations in his last moments? We answer, circumstances did not permit. It was but for a little while that the disease assumed so threatening a character as to forbid the en- couragement of hopes; yet, to stay that sum- mons which none may refuse, to give still fur- * ‘ther length of days to him whose ‘time-honcred :life’ was so dear to mankind, prayer was not ‘'wanting to the throne of grace. Close to the couch of the sufferer, resting her head upon - that ancient book with which she had been wont to hold pious communion a portion of every day for more than half a century, was the venerable consort absorbed in silent prayer and from which she only arose when the mcumning group prepared to bear her from the chamber of the dead.” The funeral services, which were under Ma- sonic auspices, took place Wednesday, Decem= ber 18, and the greatest of all Americans was placed in the old vault at Mount Vernon in a mahogany coffin lined with lead, soldered at the Jjoints, and the cover likewise secured. Y a number of writers the medical treatment given Gen. Washington has been spoken of as being too severe. Mr. Lear tells us that the lancet was applied three times and we are fur- ther told that in all 32 ounces of blood werc taken from the general in the last application. However, in a carefully prepared article ap- pearing recently in the Virginia Medical Month- * 1y, written by Dr. Walter A. Wells of this city, reviewing the medical treatment given Washing- ton during his last illness, that author makes an excellent scientific defense of the treatment given the first President, considering the time and the methods then in use. Dr. Wells has this to say: “With regard to the treatment of the case, after reading Cullen we cannot fail to be struck with the faithful adherence to the methods rec- ommended by this great authority. Blistering, bleeding, emesis and catharsis are the main- stays of his therapeutic regimen. In addition to them Washington had the benefit of hot mus- tard foot baths and hot steam inhalation, which form part of the present methods in the treat- ment of this class of throat affection. In regard to the bleeding, this had been the occasion of the chief condemnation visited upon Washing- ton’s physicians. It was with this in mind that Ford in his “True Washington’ says, ‘There can scarcely be a doubt that the treatment of his last iliness by the doctors was a little less than murder.’ “Such brutal cock-sureness of statement could emanate only from an opinionated lay- man, ignorant of the pessibilities in such a case. If there is anything certain about the case it is that the chief factor responsible for the fatal termination was the asphyxia due to ob- structive swelling in the region of the glottis. “Admitting the possibility that the blood- letting was a contributory factor, no blame can properly be attached to Washington’s physicians on that account. They were following the best authorities, instituted treatment orthodox in that day and indeed widely practiced for the following 40 or 50 years. “With men of such influence as Benjamin Rush in their own country enthusiastically advocating the practice of blood-letting and with Cullen specifically advising its use, with repetition to be of advantage in this kind of case, Washington’s physicians would indeed have laid themselves open to censure if they had failed to use it as they did. It must be realized that Washington's illness was one with a ten- dency tcward fatal termination. Moreover, he was not, as some have assumed, a man at that time in the full vigor of health, but presenting, as remarked by himself as well as by others, decided evidences of physical deterioration, “WHAT treatment would we use today and what difference in result could we ex- pect? It is at the very beginning of an attack of this kind that treatment is most effective, and very often simple measures will answer. A eold ice compress placed on the outside of the o s . ton death-bed scene reproduco ronp a dr awing which appeared in Harper’s Magazine in 1858. < ‘ce to swallow; with laxa- . _.mple diet, rest in bed and 3 of .ne voice is the line of treat- ment which tod -y would generally be prescribed in the very beginning with hope of aborting an attack. “In this connection it is aprcpos to remark that Washington was himself guilty of an indis- cretion which we regard as of much importance in the hygiene of cold-catching. On coming into the house his neck, as remarked by his secretary, was wet and snow was clinging to his hair. He came to dinner, which had beén waiting for him, without changing his clcthes, If Washington had but dried his neck and changed his clothes it is possible that a glow of healthy reaction would have set up and his cold would never have developed.” Referring to the nature of Washington's ill- ness, Dr, Wells tells us: “The malady respon- sible for his death was an acute inflammatory edema of the larynx, an affliction which attacks the tissue lying beneath the mucous membrane, It is characterized by a painful swelling of the structures of the larynx and the adjacent tis- sues below and above, including the epiglottis, o The old family tomb at Mount Vernon. causing great difficulty, as well as pain, in swallowing. When the swelling involves the glotiis, the narrow gateway to the lungs, it obstructs the entrance of air and threatens death by asphyxia, or actual suffocation. And when it appears in a violent form, as in this case, it is, we may assume, actuated by some virulent micro-organism—in all probability the streptococcus. “The diagnosis made by Washington's physi- cians, as given out in a statement five days after his death, cynanche trachealis, indicates that they had an idea of the location and na- ture of the malady, as near as it was possible in the limited knowledge then existent of this class of diseases—in fact, much more nearly correct than the diagnoses which have found current acceptance in the opinions of our own day. * * * 4 “WASH!NG'DON'S death was not due to ex- cessive bleeding, as has been sometimes recklessly stated; it was the inevitable conse- quence of a relentless encroachment of the in- flammatory swelling upon the narrow passage- way at, the glottis, cutting off the vitally neces- 3 3dod. é drawing. Reproduced from an old sary supply of oxygen, and associated no doubt with a general toxic infection from some viru= lent micro-organism, most likely the strep- tococcus. Unless relief comes otherwise in such a case, it is obvious that the patient, whether, bled or not, must succumb from air starvation. Washington, then, you may be sure, was not bled to death; rather, it may be said that he choked to death, for death was due primarily to suffocation.” While on this subject it may be interesting to note that Washington's remains, and those as well of other members of his family, were moved from the old tomb to the new one on April 19, 1831, and that six years later the re- mains of Washington and Mrs. Washington were moved from the rear of the new tomb to the sarcophagi at the front of the same, and where they are now viewed by thousands an- nually. Years after Washington’s body had been re- moved from the old vault to the new one, an account was published to the effect that when Washington’s coffin was opened, due to the alcohol being low, a cheek bone or some other portion of the face appeared as. if decayed. IN 1920, the Columbia Historical Society, de- siring to get at the facts of the controversy, that had never been settled, took up the matter with the superintendent of Mount Vernon, Har= rison H. Dodge, through Dr. William Tindall; with the result of the following letter, which would seem to show that there was at no timeg any alcohol in Washington’s cofin: “Mount Vernon, Virginia, “May 8, 1920. “Dr. William Tindall: “My dear Dr. Tindall—Possibly I may be able to throw a bit of light on the subject men- tioned in the communication bearing your post- script. “Some years ago, I remember, one of the Washington newspapers published an account of what happened at Mount Vernon, in 1837, when the remains of George Washington and his wife were transferred from the ‘inner vdult’ of the tomb and placed within the marble sarcophagi which had been provid-d, and which have ever since been in plain sight of visitors standing before the tomb entrance. “ “On that occasion quite a large party of Sen- ators, members of Congress and others, came to witness the transfer to ‘the last rasting plasa.’ “Among them was a little boy (name fargot- ten by me) whose father raised him on his shoulder that he might see, cver the hsads of the crowd in front, what thers was of the cere- mony. The published account (after the child had grown to old age and dici) was, in effect, that the lid of the leaden casket (the general’s) was opened for a few momcntis before being placed in the sarcophagus, and (so it lppe'fi_{.ed to the child) Washington's body was seen fipa‘t- ing in alcohol and his cheek just touching the “That was the impression mace upon the mind of the child (who was soms distance ‘back from the scene of action), but it was evidently retained throughout his life. by “I cannot accept that published accéunt''as correct, because of many traditions handed down to me by descendants of other ejewit- nesses. i “The most reliable authority, I have had many occasions to quote, was an old man (Wil- llam Burgess, a stone mason of Alexandria) whom I employed at Mount Vernon from 1835 until he died, 1803. t “Burgess was an apprentice bricklayer and helped building the 'new tomb,’ and was present when the remains of Gen. Washington ‘and others were moved (April 19, 1831) from: the ‘old tomb’ to the new. Only a few members of the Washington family were; present then, and this 18-year-old lad (Burgess) was with them when they determined to open the leaden casket to assure themselves-.of the identity of what it inclosed. They all expressed astonish< ment, when the face of the general was,re- vealed, to observe how lttle his facial expres< sion (judging from portraits), had changed in the thirty-odd years since,his death. But the sealed leaden casket had, been the reasom of preservation of form. ., » “Burgess’ oft-repeated testimony was to the effect that after the face had been exposed for a few moments there was an appreciable change noticed by all; a falling in of the features quick< ly occurred. If there had been alcohol used this wouldn’t have occurred. No alcohol was subsequently put in the casket, I know! “You can rely upon Burgess’ account to be correct. ' “Yours, f “HARRISON H. DODGE, Supt.” 'OT only was Washington revered and loved in his pwn country, but when news of his death reachéd Europe the mourning became almost as widespread as it had been in America, and even the Channel fleet of Great Britaim paid homage to his memory by lowering i® flags to, halfstaff. Napoleon Bonaparte, the® first consul, caused all the standards in the French public service to be draped in mourning, Indeed, sorrow was universal, and it was admite ted on all hands that the woild had lost a great man and a statesman of the highest rank and & noble friend of mankind. Unfortunately, it scems that some of our present-day writers feel that by trying to make Washington appear smaller, they make theme selyes greater. This, indeed, is wasting time, f6r,. where every one must admit that the Father of His Country was human in all re- . spects, in many ways he was even superhuman, Analyzing his entire life from his birth in Westmoreland County, Va., to his death at Mount Vernon, there has been no great man since—except it possibly be Lincoln—who has had so spotless a record, and to the true Ameri= can he was in every sense, as “Light Horse Harry” Lee has said: “First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his country- men.” Lincoln’s own tribute to this great man is alwaps worth repeating. Of him he said: “Washington is the mightest name on earth—s long since mightiest in the cause of civil lib= erty; still mightiest in moral reformation. On that name no eulogy is expected. It cannot be, To add brightness to sun or glory to the name of Washingion is alike impossible. Let none attempt it. In solemn awe pronounce the name and in its naked, deathless splendor leave # shing on.”