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Show GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS A DOCTOR NOT well known, but authentic, authen-tic, is the fact that George Washington was really a physician. physi-cian. His knowledge of medicine prepared him to treat the illnesses ill-nesses of slaves on his own plantation. plan-tation. During his final Illness, before other doctors were called in, he directed his own treatment, says a writer in Hygeia, the Health Magazine. As was customary cus-tomary at the time, he ordered himself bled. Shortly before he died, his breathing became easier and he withdrew his hand from a friend's and felt his own pulse. Washington thus evidently realized real-ized that the end had come and gave up hope; for immediately a great change came over his countenance and his hand fell lifeless to his side. |