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| Doctor Zebra > Presidential health > List of Presidents > Benjamin Harrison | [Text Version] |
| The Health and Medical History of President | ||||||||
Benjamin Harrison |
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| President #23. |
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| Timeline: | |<== 1776 | |||||||
Maladies = shape · cigar smoker · food poisoning · scarlet fever · hand irritation · pale? · breakdown #1 · breakdown #2 · breakdown #3? · poor stamina · a cold and toothache · wife's death · pneumonia ·· Odds & Ends ·· Resources |
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| Maladies and Conditions | [Top] |
 shape |
Harrison was slender and wiry in childhood, but became chubby and square-shouldered [2a]. As an adult, he was 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a big torso atop short legs. He was strong and muscular [2b]. |
 cigar smoker |
Harrison began smoking cigars in 1847-1850. His parents urged him to quit. On January 1, 1858, he resolved "Stop use of tobacco in every form" [2a]. He did not succeed in quitting, however. An Indianapolis tobacconist kept Harrison supplied with with cigars while President. Seeing Harrison with a cigar in his hand was "not atypic" and was captured on film [1a]. |
  food poisoning |
As an officer in the Union army during the Civil War, Harrison developed "ptomaine poisoning" on Nov. 24, 1862 after eating fresh pork [2b]. The term is not used today, and most likely represents some form of food poisoning. |
scarlet fever |
Harrison survived a case of scarlet fever near the end of the Civil War, without sequelae [2b]. |
 hand irritation |
As a brigadier general with Sherman's campaign near Atlanta, Harrison developed some type of irritation on the skin of his hands, requiring him to wear gloves at all times. Bumgarner believes it may have been contact dermatitis [2b]. The susceptibility became lifelong and ultimately became a political liability: while campaigning for governor of Indiana in 1870, he became known as "Kidgloves Harrison" [2b]. |
pale? |
It has been written about Harrison: "His bearded face was plain and square with white skin that never tanned" [2c]. |
  breakdown #1 |
After two years as a reporter for the ?Indiana Supreme Court and as a lawyer, Harrison in 1867 nearly suffered a physical breakdown from overwork. His wife, Carrie, nursed him back to health, and he made some lifestyle changes: he took his first vacation in three years, and he relinquished his reporting job [2b]. |
breakdown #2 |
After campaigning in Indiana for re-election to the Senate in 1886, Harrison returned to Washington, DC "used up." It took two weeks under the care of his doctor, including a diet of "iron, strychnine, and quinine," to restore his health [2b]. |
breakdown #3? |
While campaigning for the Presidency in 1888, there were reports that Harrison was near nervous collapse. These reports were denied, but they probably contained an element of truth [2d]. |
poor stamina |
The stress of the 1888 Presidential campaign demonstrated to Harrison that he should conserve his strength. There is no record of a physical illness which might have caused such a lack of endurance in a 56 year old man. [2d]. Nevertheless, Harrison adopted an energy-conserving approach to the Presidency. He only carried out the laws enacted by Congress and never exerted strong leadership. When he left office in 1893 his health was as good as, or better than, it was when he entered office [2d]. |
 a cold and toothache |
As President, Harrison became tired and sick (though not seriously) on a trip to Vermont and New York in the summer of 1891 [2d]. [More] |
wife's death |
Mrs. Harrison died in the White House [5a]. No doubt this affected the President, but Dr. Zebra hasn't seen a discussion of this topic. |
  pneumonia |
In 1901 Harrison developed a cold. It worsened. By two days later he had a severe chill, high fever, and generalized aches and pains. Despite treatment with bed rest, pain relievers, and steam inhalations, in another 48 hours he developed pleuritic left-sided chest pain (i.e. it was worse when he inhaled), shortness of breath, and a rapid pulse. Pneumonia was diagnosed. Oxygen was administered, and several physicians were called in consultation. Antibiotics would not be invented for decades. Harrison died the afternoon of March 13, 1901, in the arms of his wife [2e]. |
| Odds & Ends | [Top] |
Dr. Scott, the father of Mrs. Harrison, died in the White House, in the ninety-third year of his age. Mrs. Harrison continued sick; some days she would rally and feel a little better, but finally she grew worse again. About three o'clock in the morning, on one occasion while she was ill, she was suffering a great deal of pain in her side. Most of the servants had gone home, and all the rest of the help about the house was asleep, with the exception of her dressing-maid; she came to the head of the stairs and called for me and my partner to make a fire in the range as soon as we possibly could. We hurried back and cleaned out the range in the pantry and soon had a rousing fire going. In the meantime the maid had hurried down with flaxseed. We put it into the saucepan and soon had it boiling, and she hurried upstairs with a flaxseed poultice and applied it to Mrs. Harrison's side, which gave her a good deal of relief. She lingered along for some time, and finally died in the Garfield Room, which is in the southwest corner of the White House. Her remains were brought down into the East Room, and laid under the centre chandelier.
| Resources | [Top] |
| Alternate index terms: Medical history of President Harrison. | [Top] |
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