At between two and three o’clock of Saturday morning, December 14th, Washington awoke Mrs. Washington and told her that he was very unwell and had had an ague.  She observed that he could hardly speak and breathed with difficulty.  She wished to get up to call a servant, but he, fearing she might take cold, dissuaded her.  When daylight appeared, the woman Caroline came and lighted the fire.  Mrs. Washington sent her to summon Mr. Lear, and Washington asked that Mr. Rawlins, one of the overseers, should be summoned before the Doctor could arrive.  Lear got up at once, dressed hastily, and went to the General’s bedside.  Lear wrote a letter to Dr. Craik, Washington’s longtime friend and physician, and sent it off post-haste by a servant.  Mrs. Washington was up.  They prepared a mixture of molasses, vinegar, and butter, but the patient could not swallow a drop; whenever he attempted it he appeared to be distressed, convulsed, and almost suffocated.

“Mr. Rawlins came in soon after sunrise and prepared to bleed him.  When the arm was ready, the General, observing that Rawlins appeared to be agitated, said, as well as he could speak, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ and after the incision was made, he observed, ’The orifice is not large enough,’ However, the blood ran pretty freely.  Mrs. Washington, not knowing whether bleeding was proper or not in the General’s situation, begged that much might not be taken from him, lest it should be injurious, and desired me to stop it; but when I was about to untie the string, the General put up his hand to prevent it, and as soon as he could speak, he said, ‘More.’  Mrs. Washington being still very uneasy, lest too much blood should be taken, it was stopped after about half a pint was taken from him.

“Finding that no relief was obtained from bleeding, and that nothing would go down the throat, I proposed bathing the throat externally with salvolatile which was done; during the operation, which was with the hand, in the gentlest manner, he observed, ‘’Tis very sore.’  A piece of flannel dipped in salvolatile was then put round his neck.  His feet were also bathed in warm water.  This, however, gave no relief.  In the meantime, before Dr. Craik arrived, Mrs. Washington requested me to send for Dr. Brown, of Port Tobacco, whom Dr. Craik had recommended to be called, if any case should ever occur that was seriously alarming.  I despatched a Messenger (Cyrus) to Dr. Brown immediately (between eight and nine o’clock).  Dr. Craik came in soon after, and after examining the General, he put a blister of Cantharide on the throat and took some more blood from him, and had some Vinegar and hot water put into a Teapot for the General to draw in the steam from the nozel, which he did as well as he was able.  He also ordered sage tea and Vinegar to be mixed for a Gargle.  This the General used as often as desired; but when he held back his head to let it run down, it put him into great distress and almost produced suffocation.  When the mixture came out of his mouth some phlegm followed it, and he would attempt to cough, which the Doctor encouraged him to do as much as he could; but without effect—­he could only make the attempt.