Did you know? On December 13, 1799, George Washington spent the day walking on his estate in a freezing rain. The next day, he had trouble breathing and swallowing. Several doctors were called in. One suggested a tracheostomy, cutting a hole in the throat so that the president could breathe. He was voted down. The other physicians suggested bleeding the patient , plastering his throat with bran and honey, and placing beetles on his legs to produce blisters. No treatment was provided, and within a few hours, Washington's voice became muffled and breathing was more labored. For a short time he seemed euphoric, and then he died. George Washington had epiglottitis, an inflammation that swells the epiglottis to ten times its normal size. A tracheostomy might have saved his life.
