In 1796, according to History, George Washington opted out of seeking a third presidential term. He retired to Mount Vernon, keeping up his daily habit of overseeing the vast estate. Doing so on a stormy and very cold day on December 12, 1799, however, proved his undoing. Returning home late, Washington opted to dine in his wet clothes so as not to disappoint his guests. The next day, he again went out in inclement weather. By evening, the former president fell terribly ill. Constitution Center verifies that various doctors were summoned. Per their orders, Washington gargled with molasses, vinegar, and butter (which choked him). He inhaled steaming vinegar. His throat was swabbed with a mixture that included dried beetles. He was given an enema and drank herbal teas.
Nothing helped. Worst of all, the physicians applied "bloodletting," wherein the sick man's blood was drained for a bit of time — until some 40% of it had been taken. Much weakened by the measure, the sickly Washington was fed up by December 14. History Today quotes him as telling the doctors, "You had better not take any more trouble about me, but let me go off quietly. I cannot last long." They didn't listen and continued applying more useless cures until the Father of our Country died later that night. Although scientists have since theorized over what really killed Washington, they have yet to arrive at the true cause of the president's death.
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