how did george washington die

George Washington died on December 14, 1799, at his home after a brief illness lasting about 21 hours. He had been out in cold, wet weather on December 12 and returned in damp clothes, which may have contributed to his illness. The cause of death is believed to be acute bacterial epiglottitis, which is a severe inflammation of the epiglottis that blocked his airway, making it hard for him to breathe. Washington's doctors at the time treated him with bloodletting, drawing about 40 percent of his blood, along with other remedies such as gargling a molasses, vinegar and butter mixture, inhaling steam with vinegar, throat swabbing, and using an enema. These treatments likely worsened his condition, contributing to his death. He died with his wife Martha by his side, and his last words were reported as "’Tis well." The medical understanding then was limited, and his death has been partly attributed to both the illness and the aggressive medical interventions he received.