- James Craik
James Craik (
1730 -February 6 ,1814 ) was Physician General (precursor of the Surgeon General) of theUnited States Army , as well asGeorge Washington 's personal physician and close friend.Education and emigration to America
Born in
Kirkcudbright ,Scotland , Craik was the illegitimate son ofRobert Craik , a member of Parliament. He studied medicine at theUniversity of Edinburgh , then joined theBritish Army after graduation and served as an army surgeon in theWest Indies until 1751. Craik then opened up a private medical practice inNorfolk, Virginia , and shortly thereafter relocated toWinchester, Virginia .American military career
On
March 7 ,1754 , Craik resumed his military career, accepting a commission as a surgeon in ColonelJoshua Fry 'sVirginia Provincial Regiment . While with this force, he became good friends with George Washington, at that time a lieutenant colonel in the regiment. Craik saw a great deal of action in various battles of theFrench and Indian War . He fought at theBattle of the Great Meadows and participated in the surrender ofFort Necessity , then accompanied GeneralEdward Braddock on Braddock's unsuccessful attempt to recapture the region in 1755, treating Braddock's ultimately fatal wounds. Craik then served under Washington in actions in Virginia and Maryland, during various engagements with Indians.After the war's end, Craik opened another medical practice at
Port Tobacco, Maryland , and onNovember 13 ,1760 , he married Marianne Ewell, a Virginia woman who would later become the great-aunt ofRichard S. Ewell . In both 1770 and 1784 he went on surveying expeditions with Washington, examining military claims in Pennsylvania and what is nowWest Virginia .With the outbreak of hostilities during the
American Revolution , Craik once more rejoined the army. He served as an army surgeon, ultimately advancing to the second-highest post in army medicine. Craik warned Washington about the plots of theConway Cabal , and treated the wounds of GeneralHugh Mercer at theBattle of Princeton andGilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette at theBattle of Brandywine . Mercer died of his wounds, but La Fayette was more fortunate.Washington summoned Craik out of private practice in 1798 in connection with the
Quasi-War against France, installing him as Physician General of the Army onJune 19 of that year. After the conclusion of hostilities, Craik mustered out onJune 15 ,1800 .At Washington's death
As Washington's personal physician, Craik was one of three doctors to attend on him during his final illness on
December 14 ,1799 . Washington complained of respiratory distress, described by Craik as "cynanche trachealis". When Washington proved unable to swallow medicines orally, Craik and the other two physicians (Dr.Elisha C. Dick and Dr.Gustavus Richard Brown ) treated his condition withbloodletting , the application of variouspoultice s, and a rectal solution of calomel andtartar . Washington's condition continued to deteriorate, but Craik and Brown decided against Dick's suggestion of atracheotomy (which might have been lifesaving), and Washington died at 10:10 p.m. Brown and Craik co-published an account of their treatment in December of 1800. [cite book | title = A Sermon Occasioned by the Death of General Washington - - - Preached Dec. 29, 1799, By the Rev. Hezakiah N. Woodruff, A. M. - - - To which is added An Appendix Giving a Particular Account of the Behaviour of General Washington During his Distressing Illness, Also of the Nature of the Complaint of which he died, by Doctors James Craik, and Elisha C. Dick, Attending Physicians, 1800]His only known work
References
*" [http://history.amedd.army.mil/tsgs/Craik.htm James Craik] ", The United States Office of Medical History, accessed
May 20 ,2006 .
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