Washington Was A Tough Man To Kill

Washington was a tall, strong man who avoided numerous fatal situations. Washington had diphtheria, tuberculosis, smallpox, malaria, dysentery, quinsy, carbuncle, and pneumonia at various periods in time. He narrowly escaped drowning in an ice-filled river. He survived Fort Necessity's burning and carnage. In single combat, he avoided having two horses shot out from under him and had four bullets close enough to penetrate his clothing. Experienced dozens of near-death experiences, but he still managed to preserve his life. So one of the interesting facts about George Washington is that he was a tough man to kill.

Ironically, he was killed by a cold. Technically speaking, it was epiglottises, a throat illness that could be treated with drugs today. His medical professionals effectively tortured him as he lay dying, burning him to get rid of the illness and taking 40% of his blood in the process. As he was persuaded previous people in history had been, Washington was terrified of being buried alive. Just in case, he stipulated that his body shouldn't be interred for three days following his passing.