A towering figure in American history, General George Washington will forever be remembered for the bravery, principles, and integrity that led him to become the first President of the United States. The following facts focus on Washington’s excruciating demise that he endured in his final hours and the events that transpired following his passing.

10Diagnosis And Treatment

Since 1799, speculation has arisen as to whether or not Washington fell victim to medical malpractice. In an article written in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. David Morens states that accusations of malpractice “were very much in the air during and immediately after the great man died.” Morens goes on to state, however, that he would not consider it malpractice in context of today’s usage. What remains troubling is that of the three doctors providing Washington’s care, no two agreed about the means of treatment.

Morens hints that the doctors were perhaps protecting their reputation to avoid potential charges. Washington’s diagnosis was also subject of debate and to date. It remains unclear as to what he truly succumbed to, be it an acute infection, malpractice, or a combination of both.

9Vile Concoction

It’s hard to imagine the pain Washington endured as the hours passed and his infected throat became more red and inflamed. To lessen the swelling in the early morning hours, Washington’s personal secretary, Col. Thomas Lear, provided the president a tonic of molasses, butter, and vinegar.

Washington had labored breathing and could barely speak, let alone drink a vile concoction that he could not swallow. His attempts to do so were met with choking, distress, and convulsions. If that alone didn’t notify the reaper, Washington was advised to gargle with vinegar and sage tea, followed by bouts of suffocation and expectorating phlegm. His difficulty grasping his breath substantially worsened as the hours passed and did so until 10 minutes prior to his passing, when his breathing became less strenuous, slowly letting go.

8Punctuality

Following Washington’s retirement, he spent much of his time working outside on the lands of his estate at Mount Vernon. Even through the intolerable winter conditions of snow, rain, hail, and high winds, Washington pushed through for five long hours, seeing to it that his work was completed for the day.

Priding himself on his punctuality, he remained in his damp clothes throughout dinner. The following day, Washington subjected his immunity to the harsh outdoors yet again even though he had developed a painful sore throat throughout the night. This would be the last day Washington would roam his estate, retiring for the evening with worsening symptoms that would awake him in agony around 3:00 AM. Had it not been for his fixated and stubborn ways, Washington would have lived to see spring. Instead, three physicians were summoned, undoubtedly sealing his fate.

7Infertility

From endocrine disorders to STDs, historians have long speculated the possible causes of Washington’s infertility. One theory was his extensive exposure to mercurous chloride, which he received in his twenties for treatment of abdominal pain and chronic bloody diarrhea.

Even on his deathbed, Washington’s physicians were prescribing him the toxic substance in combination with potassium tartrate, which causes intense nausea and vomiting. In layman’s terms, America’s founding father was inadvertently being poisoned by perilous medical remedies.

When these failed to produce beneficial results, Dr. Dick suggested a tracheotomy. A debate ensued between him and Dr. Craik, who ultimately vetoed the suggestion. Dr. Dick had only recently been trained in the procedure, leaving the outcome awfully uncertain.

6Criticism And Irony

News traveled much slower in the late 18th century, and in December 1799, it took four full days for word of Washington’s passing to reach Congress in Philadelphia. In fact, Congress was in session when notified, while Washington’s funeral was taking place hundreds of miles away at Mount Vernon.

As Washington was lowered into the ground, so was the harsh criticism he had faced in life. He had been viewed by many as a sell-out to the British, but this was overshadowed by the loss of the country’s founding father and dignified hero. Interestingly enough, the Union Washington so courageously fought to establish would be threatened nearly 69 later by Robert E. Lee, the son of the man who had spoken the infamous words, “First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.”

5Spanish Fly

As Washington’s condition worsened, his discomfort reached new heights upon the tortuous application of Spanish Fly. This powdered concoction was applied to the very source causing Washington’s agony, his throat.

Spanish Fly (cantharides) is a poisonous extract from the dried bodies of the beetle Cantharis vesicatoria. It causes blistering and has been used criminally as an aphrodisiac, often with dire consequences. In fact, it has been known to poison African cattle via contaminated drinking water, causing excitement, diarrhea, and inflammation of the kidneys.

It was assumed that the “treatment” would draw out the toxins plaguing Washington’s haggard body, not knowing the blistering pain was further exhausting his immunity. This senseless and excruciating false remedy continued throughout the day.

4Burial Dispute

Washington instructed in his will that his remains be buried in a new family mausoleum, unaware of the obstacles his request would face throughout the following century.

Despite his wishes, the House and Senate appealed to the Washington family to transfer his remains from Mount Vernon to the Capitol to be entombed under a marble monument. Martha Washington chose not to oppose the wishes of the public. However, disagreements arose over the type of monument, and funding stalled the project for years. Approaching Washington’s centennial in 1832, John A. Washington, owner of Mount Vernon, rejected any further plans to transfer the patriarch’s remains, effectively settling the issue that had spanned 33 years.

3Dehydration

In the late hours of Washington’s suffering, he was subjected to throat swabs of salve followed by an enema. This not only further incapacitated him but reduced him to a debilitated and vulnerable soul. The complications lead to a serious loss of body water, not including the noxious mineral imbalance in his blood. These, in turn, often lead to grave illnesses of the kidneys and heart. In addition, abdominal pain and cramping with persistent dizziness and nausea is often noted for those who have abused enemas.

In Washington’s case, where his perceived treatments were deemed beneficial, his soul was inadvertently being siphoned under a degrading set of circumstances.

2Washington’s Will

For a momentary respite from the agonizing details of Washington’s final hours, let us focus on one positive aspect of December 14, 1799: the last will of America’s founding father. It was written five months prior, on July 9, and Washington instructed Martha to retrieve his will hours just before his passing.

She handed her husband the two revisions, and in his frail and gravely ill state, he asked Martha to burn one and safeguard the other. Of the notable provisions made, Washington laid out instructions for freeing his slaves as well as the support for those who were too old, ill, or young to support themselves. In addition, Washington provided stocks to finance a school for orphaned children. His concern for the future of the United States and the well-being of those who had served him, all the while clinging to life, is a testament to the nobility of his character.

1Bloodletting

Washington’s physicians postulated that his airway obstruction was due to inflammation of the tongue, upper trachea, and larynx. In accordance with medical professor William Cullen’s recommended treatment, Washington was bled over a period of 9–10 hours with a quantity of blood estimated around 3.75 liters.

Six weeks after his passing, Dr. James Brickell expressed disgust in an article that was not made public until 1903 pertaining to the clinical wisdom of Washington’s physicians and the therapeutic modalities administered. Dr. Brickell argues that given Washington’s age and fragile state, the bleeding led to speedy and inevitable death.

In his final moments, Washington appeared calm and had stopped struggling, leading some to believe he had suffered profound hypotension that lead to shock and ultimately his death.

Adam is just a hubcap trying to hold on in the fast lane.

Americans tend to treat George Washington like a god. That might seem like a strong word, but his first biographer called him “a hero and a demigod,” the Capitol Building has a mural of Washington ascending to Heaven, and a statue in the Capitol Rotunda literally depicts him as the Greek god Zeus.

Washington, though, was a mortal man, and he had faults and weaknesses just like everyone else. The stories we hear about him are full of hero worship and legend. There are, however, a few little details usually get cut out.

10 His Mother Made His Life Hell

You’d expect the mother of the first US president to do nothing but beam with pride, but George Washington’s mother mostly just complained. Mary Ball Washington was strict, criticizing far more than she praised. One of Washington’s childhood friends once said, “Of the mother, I was ten times more afraid than I ever was of my own parents.”

When George moved out, she constantly wrote him begging for money, even when he was fighting the British. She even wrote the state of Virginia demanding a pension, which humiliated her son. He wrote to them, urging them not to give his mother money: “All of us, I am certain, would feel much hurt, at having our mother a pensioner, while we had the means of supporting her.”

As she got older and sicker, George urged her move in with one of her children for an easier life—just not with him. Even when she died, he slipped a little sour note into his plans for her estate, sneaking in the line, “She has had a great deal of money from me at times.”

9 He Bought His First Elected Position With Alcohol

In Washington’s time, they served alcohol on election days. As odd as it seems today, polling booths would be full of liquor. It was practically mandatory. If you didn’t give your voters alcohol, as Washington learned, they didn’t vote for you.

When Washington ran for the House of Burgesses in Virginia in 1755, he tried to take the higher road. He refused to liquor up his constituents, so he lost horribly, 271 votes to 40.

When he ran again three years later, he’d learned from his mistakes. He served voters 545 liters (144 gal) of alcohol, offering everything from beer to straight rum. That was almost 2 liters (0.5 gal) of liquor for every person voting, and he still worried it wouldn’t be enough. It worked, however; Washington was voted in by a landslide.

8 His False Teeth Were Pulled From Slaves

You know you’ve made an impact on history when people make up stories about your teeth. Legend says that Washington’s were made of wood, but that’s not true. The real story behind Washington’s teeth is much, much more screwed up.

Thanks to a combination of terrible diet and genetics, Washington had a disgusting mouth. He struggled with tooth pain most of his life and eventually just lost them all. Being rich, though, Washington had the means to get false ones. His dentist fashioned him a set of false teeth carved from hippopotamus ivory and affixed with gold wire springs and brass screws, all set up to hold a set of real human teeth—that were ripped from the mouths of slaves.

Records show that in 1784, Washington paid his slaves 122 shillings to buy nine of their teeth. This was actually only one-third the going rate for human teeth. Washington then had his dentist shove the teeth he’d pulled from his slaves right into his mouth, which is probably why we just tell children his teeth were made of wood.

7 He Made A Fortune Off Whiskey And Slaves

Other than the current president-elect, George Washington was the richest president in US history, mostly through inheritance and marriage. His wife, Martha, inherited a massive property when her first husband died. This was a huge, 8,000-acre plantation dotted with five separate farms, run, at its peak, by over 300 slaves.

He made another fortune, though, when his presidency ended. In 1797, as he was leaving office, he opened a whiskey distillery. It didn’t take long before it was the biggest one in the country. By the time Washington died in 1799, he was shipping 42,000 liters (11,000 gal) of whiskey across the country each year.

6 He Grew Marijuana

Washington owned a lot of land and grew a lot of crops—including marijuana. We know for a fact that the first US president farmed hemp, and he wasn’t using it to make rope.

Washington’s diaries make it clear that he was farming marijuana to harvest THC from the female plants. The diaries repeatedly talk about his struggles to properly separate the male and female plants. On May 12, 1765, Washington wrote, “Sowed hemp at muddy hole by swamp.” Later, on August 7, he complained that he “began to separate the male from female plants—rather too late.” The next year, he wrote that he was “pulling up the male hemp.”

It’s highly likely that he smoked his harvest, too. For one, there was no law against doing so in his time. There are also unconfirmed reports that he had a habit of stuffing pipes full of marijuana. According to one story, Washington and Thomas Jefferson liked to swap their homegrown crops of marijuana as personal gifts.

5 He Was Paid More Than Any Other President

When George Washington was appointed general of the revolutionary army, he asked for no salary. All he asked was that they reimburse his expenses. It seemed incredibly noble . . . until he came back with the bill.

Washington racked up every expense he could. He hired actors and theaters to put on plays. He spent $6,000 on booze. While the army nearly starved, he ate so luxuriously that he actually gained 14 kilograms (30 lb). In the end, his bill came to $449,261.51. Congress, having already signed the deal, had to pay him every penny.

When they made him president, Washington tried to get the same deal—but Congress had learned their lesson. They made him accept a salary. Still, Washington managed to negotiate the highest salary any US president has ever received—one that made up two percent of the national budget.

4 He Thought Chinese People Were White

When the founding fathers set up all those laws and freedoms that only applied to “free white men,” Washington may have thought he was being a bit more generous than he really was. After all, he thought China was full of white people.

The US opened trade channels with China in 1785, and the country was flushed with all kinds of Chinese novelties. Tea, silk, and Chinese porcelain came in, often decorated with images of people.

Washington began collecting Chinese goods as a hobby. Reportedly, he saw, on the side of a pot, a picture of a Chinese person for the first time, and he was shocked. He had known that the Chinese were “droll in appearance,” but he’d never realized until that moment that Chinese people weren’t white.

3 He Illegally Transported Slaves

When Washington became president, he was forced to live in Pennsylvania, which was a problem. Pennsylvania was the first state to ban slavery, and Washington had a lot of slaves. Pennsylvania had introduced the Gradual Abolition Act, which stated that any citizen living in Pennsylvania could hold slaves for no longer than six months. After that, they had to be freed.

The slave owners found a bunch of loopholes to get out of it, so the law had to amended with new rules. By 1788, transporting slaves in and out of Pennsylvania to get around the law was explicitly illegal.

This is exactly what Washington did. The law was already in effect when he became president, but he rotated his slaves every six months anyway. By all accounts, the government seems to have been fully aware of what he was doing. Afraid to be the ones to arrest the first president, though, they just pretended they didn’t notice.

2 He Set The World Record For Library Fines

In 1789, Washington borrowed two books from the New York Society Library: Law of Nations and Volume 12 of Common Debates. An apparently excited librarian marked his name down as “The President” in the ledger, told him to return the books on November 2, and let him go.

Washington never came back, though, and his late fees kept building up. It wasn’t until 1934 that the library found the ledger and realized that Washington had stiffed them.

Finally, in 2010, Washington’s Mount Vernon estate ordered copies of the books online and sent them to the library. By then, Washington had technically accrued a record-setting late fee of more than $300,000.

1 His Friend Wanted To Reanimate His Corpse

Washington held a lifelong fear of being buried alive. He made his secretary promise not to let anyone bury him until he’d been allowed to decompose for three days. When he died in 1799, they put his body on ice, just in case he woke up.

His friend and physician, William Thornton, was pretty sure he could make it happen. He believed that the blood of lambs had almost magical properties, and he was confident he could use it to bring people back to life. He wanted to try it on George Washington.

He told Martha that he wanted to thaw Washington’s body by the fire and rub it with blankets. He would then inject Washington with lamb’s blood. Next, he would perform a tracheotomy, insert a bellows into Washington’s throat, and pump his lungs full of air. This, Thornton was sure, would bring the dead president back to life.

For some reason, Martha declined.