At only 68-years-old, George Washington died after a sudden illness that was centuries away from being treatable. His final hours were documented as painful and frightening, even though he was healthy just days before. Back then, doctors were able to do very little about the sudden illnesses that struck everyone, even the most wealthy, during that time. On Dec. 12, 1799, Washington was out in the rain, snow and hail, and when he came in for dinner, he did not change. The next day, he complained of a sore throat, and it is believed he got a rare throat infection. Without antibiotics, he could not have survived regardless of the treatment that was given to him at the time. Up until the 1990s, before antibiotics were invented, Americans usually died from pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal infections, heart disease and strokes. Washington knew how easily it was to die from illness, so he got his affairs in order, and by Dec. 14, he was really sick and had feverish chills. He was given two remedies for his congestion: “a mixture of molasses, vinegar and butter and a gargle of vinegar and sage tea.” He couldn’t take either. And though he was lucky to be treated by three doctors, and attended to by servants, slaves, and his own family, Washington died a horrible and undignified death.
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