James Craik collection, 1789-1792
7 items
The James Craik collection contains seven letters and recipes written by Craik. Three items relate to the health of George Washington and his family, and six propose contemporary cures for various ailments.
The James Craik collection contains seven letters and recipes written by Craik. Three items relate to the health of George Washington and his family, and six are contemporary cures for various ailments. In the first letter, addressed to Tobias Lear, Craik encouraged him to introduce his friend Mrs. Dixon to George Washington (September 21, 1789). The remainder of the material focuses on medicine, and contains several remedies for a range of complaints, including chest pain, a "perpetual blister," and a malady frequently affecting children. Three of the items relate directly to the health of George Washington and his family.
These include:
- A letter to Martha Washington proposing a treatment for her son's fever (August 8, 1780)
- A letter to Colonel Bassett suggesting a method to alleviate "weakness" in Washington's stomach (December 6, 1792)
- A method for easing one of Washington's complaints (undated)