Editing George Washington (section)

===Death===
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[[File:Life of George Washington, Deathbed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|alt=Washington on his deathbed, with doctors and family surrounding|''Washington on his Deathbed'', an 1851 portrait by [[Junius Brutus Stearns]]]]

On December 12, 1799, Washington inspected his farms on horseback in inclement weather for five hours. He then dined with guests without putting on dry clothes.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=806}} He had a sore throat the next day but was well enough to mark trees for cutting.{{sfn|Ferling|2010|p=505}} Early the following morning, he awoke to an inflamed throat and difficulty breathing. He ordered his estate overseer, George Rawlins, to remove nearly a pint of his blood ([[bloodletting]] was a common practice of the time). His family summoned doctors [[James Craik]], [[Gustavus Richard Brown]], and [[Elisha C. Dick]].{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=806–810|Morens|1999}} Brown initially believed Washington had [[Peritonsillar abscess|quinsy]]; Dick thought the condition was a more serious "violent inflammation of the membranes of the throat".{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=806–807|Flexner|1974|2p=399}} They continued bloodletting to approximately five pints, but Washington's condition deteriorated further. Dick proposed a [[tracheotomy]]; the other physicians were not familiar with that procedure and disapproved.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=806–810}} Washington instructed Brown and Dick to leave the room, while he assured Craik, "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."{{sfn|Ellis|2004|p=269}}

On his deathbed, afraid of being entombed alive, Washington instructed his private secretary [[Tobias Lear]] to wait three days before his burial.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=808}} According to Lear, Washington died between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on December 14, 1799, with Martha seated at the foot of his bed. His last words were {{"'}}Tis well."{{sfnm|Flexner|1974|1pp=401–402|Chernow|2010|2pp=808–809}} The diagnosis of Washington's illness and the immediate cause of his death have been subjects of debate. The published account of Craik and Brown stated that his symptoms were consistent with "cynanche trachealis", a term then used to describe severe inflammation of the upper windpipe, including quinsy.{{efn|The first account of Washington's death was written by doctors Craik and Brown, published in ''The Times'' of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] five days after his death. The complete text can be found in ''The Eclectic Medical Journal'' (1858).{{sfn|Newton|Freeman|Bickley|1858|pp=273–274}}}} Accusations of [[medical malpractice]] have persisted since Washington's death.{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=806–810}} Modern medical authors have largely concluded that he likely died from severe [[epiglottitis]] complicated by the treatments he was given, which included multiple doses of [[Mercury(I) chloride|calomel]] (a purgative) and extensive bloodletting, likely resulting in [[hypovolemia|hypovolemic shock]].{{efn|Modern medical experts who blamed medical malpractice include Morens and Wallenborn in 1999,{{sfnm|Morens|1999|1pp=1845–1849|Chernow|2010|2p=809}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Wallenborn|first=White McKenzie|title=George Washington's Terminal Illness: A Modern Medical Analysis of the Last Illness and Death of George Washington|year=1999|url=https://washingtonpapers.org/resources/articles/illness/|work=[[The Papers of George Washington]]|publisher=University of Virginia|archivedate=July 22, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722060731/https://washingtonpapers.org/resources/articles/illness/|url-status=live}}</ref> and Cheatham in 2008.{{sfn|Cheatham|2008}}}}