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)
James Craik was born in Scotland in 1730 and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After receiving his degree, he served in the British army as a surgeon, but resigned his position in 1751 to sail for Virginia; he eventually settled in Winchester. He served as a surgeon with the Virginia Provincial Regiment, where he befriended George Washington, with whom he served in the French and Indian War. In 1758, he moved to Port Tobacco, Maryland, where he married Marianne Ewell in 1760; they had nine children. Craik was dissatisfied with British rule, and joined the Continental Army, serving as assistant director general of the hospital department during the war. A founding member of the Society of the Cincinnati, Craik moved to Alexandria, Virginia, after the war. He remained close to Washington for the remainder of his life as his friend and personal physician, and was present at the time of his death in 1799. He died on February 6, 1814.
