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Health and Medical History of President Harry TrumanPresident #33: 1945-1953
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Lived 1884-1972
2021
1776
 Revolutionary War1776-1783War of 18121812-1815Mexican-American War1846-1848Civil War1861-1865Spanish-American War1898-1899World War 11917-1918World War 21941-1945Korean War1950-1953Viet Nam War1964-1975Desert Storm1990-1991Bush's War2001-Now |
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"Truman had very few health problems in his lifetime -- mostly minor. [But] he had a tendency to ignore his illness until it either went away, or floored him." 1a |
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| This style... | ... means the event occurred while President. |
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 diphtheria |
Truman developed diphtheria in 1894 at age 10. He was paralyzed for several months and had
to be wheeled around in a baby carriage. Diphtheria antitoxin was unavailable then, so he was
treated with ipecac and whiskey. He developed a severe distaste for both.
1b
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 farsightedness |
As a child, Truman was diagnosed with a rare eye problem, "flat eyeballs." He wore
thick glasses beginning at age eight, after his mother noticed he was able to see the large
print in the family Bible, but unable to see objects at a distance. It has been said that Truman
was far-sighted (which fits with the flat eyeballs diagnosis)
1b,
but this pattern of visual acuity is characteristic of near-sightedness.
The issue is interesting because one possible cause of far-sightedness in young people is diphtheria.
Diphtheria can paralyze the ciliary muscle, the muscle that allows the eye to focus close in.
Most biographers say Truman wore glasses before he contracted diphtheria. But Truman's son-in-law
states that the diphtheria attack left him with the eye problem.
1c
Whatever the true nature and cause of Truman's visual impairment, his hopes as a high school
student of entering the U.S. Military Academy at West Point were dashed by his poor eyesight.
1c
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 childhood accidents |
(1) Broke his collar bone when he fell out of a chair while combing his hair. (2) Avulsed
the end of his big toe by slamming a door on it. The family doctor reattached it using a coating
of iodoform. (3) Nearly asphyxiated on a peach pit lodged in his throat. His mother saved
his life by quick thinking and quick action: she pushed the peach pit down his throat with
her finger.
1c
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car accident |
While a Congressman in 1938, a car smashed into Truman's as he drove through an intersection.
The other driver did not see the stop sign at the intersection because it was blocked by a
parked car. Truman's car was completely wrecked. Truman's daughter recalled: "It was a
miracle that we escaped alive. Dad had a cut over his forehead and Mother had a wrenched back."
1c
Truman's daughter also recalled that Truman always drove too fast.
1c
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 stress headaches |
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WW1: horse fall |
Truman re-enlisted in the Missouri National Guard in 1917, at age 33. He was elected an officer
and shipped to the front in 1918. Truman was on horseback when, on 29 August, his artillery
battery came under German fire. The horse was hit by shrapnel and fell into a shell hole, trapping
Truman underneath. He had to be pulled from beneath the horse. About this time, several of
the men broke and ran. Truman rallied the remainder "with some salty language he had learned
while working on the Sante Fe railroad. The troops were so shocked to hear such language from
Truman that they swung into action immediately."
2
In a letter home, Truman wrote that he had learned to sleep with his gas mask on.
2
(perhaps
3)
Comment:
Was Truman gassed during WW1?
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sore throat |
In early July 1946 Truman wrote his mother: "Early last week... I cultivated a sore throat
and infected ear, but both are all right now. It's the first time I ever had a bad ear. But
couldn't let up."
1e
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 cardiac asthma |
Truman's diary entry for March 7, 1947 says: "Doc tell's [sic] me I have Cardiac Asthma!
Aint that hell. Well it makes no diff, will go on as before. I've sworn him to secrecy! So
What!"
4.
Many years later, Truman's physician,
Dr. Wallace Graham,
recalled: "whenever President Truman would get into tight pinches, or really clutched
up, he would have a little bubbling in the lungs, and he would have a little rale [a lung sound
often caused by fluid in the lungs] at the base of his lungs"
4.
Graham, who admitted he withheld information about Truman's health from the public, used diuretics
(fluid pills) to treat the condition, sometimes staying up all night with the coughing Truman
4.
MORE
Comment:
(#1) "Cardiac asthma" is a little-used term today. It is often equated with pulmonary
edema (fluid in the lungs), but a 1946 cardiology textbook
5a
makes a clear distinction, noting that cardiac asthma can occur without pulmonary edema. Cardiac
asthma is asthmatic-type breathing ("asthmatic respiration is a particular type of dyspnea")
caused by sudden congestion of the pulmonary circulation. There may or may not be interstitial
edema. Both cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema are generally considered to be manifestations
of heart failure.
Comment:
(#2) Cardiac asthma is usually due to a major mechanical malfunction of the heart and can be
rapidly fatal. Unless the cause is something reversible, such as uncontrolled hypertension,
a person who is having episodes of cardiac asthma will continue to have them. It apparently
did not take much to tip Truman into cardiac asthma in 1947. How did he manage to survive for
another 25 years? He was not then hypertensive. One wonders if the diagnosis was correct.
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smallpox vaccine |
In April 1947, health care workers in New York City administered an astonishing 6.35 million
smallpox vaccinations in 28 days, prompted by the presence in the city of a single smallpox-infected
person (he died). On Sunday, April 20, White House physician
Dr. Wallace H. Graham
announced that "President Truman's preparations for a three-hour visit to New York the
next day had included a brand-new vaccination"
6a
7.
Comment:
Roueché's use of "brand-new" implies that Truman had been previously vaccinated,
which would hardly be surprising for that era.
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 stress |
In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy's attacks had put such a strain on Truman that his wife insisted
on a retreat to Florida to recuperate.
1e
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 intestinal flu |
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gall bladder |
In 1954 Truman had a gall bladder attack while watching a play. He underwent a successful emergency
operation.
1f
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 medication allergy |
After his gall bladder operation, Truman received an antibiotic that caused a severe allergic
reaction. Truman described having "hives inside and out" and being temporarily unable
to keep food down. He recovered in a few days.
1f
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hernia operation |
He developed abdominal discomfort in 1963. He was operated upon, and recovered uneventfully.
1f
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bathroom fall |
Truman had fallen on ice during one of his morning walks about a year after his gall bladder
operation, with no serious consequences. At age 83, however, he fell in the bathroom. He broke
two ribs, cut his forehead, and broke his glasses.
1f
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  slowing down |
By late 1970 Truman's health was declining. His morning walks were less brisk and less frequent.
He moved more slowly, read less, and was generally less active. He also had recurrent vertigo
and arthritis.
1f
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 heart failure |
In his last year he developed heart failure and pulmonary congestion. He was hospitalized on
5 December 1972. He became comatose the night after Christmas and died on 26 December at 8:50
am. The cause of death was heart failure.
1f
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| In Congress (maybe) | During Presidency |
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a pp.220, 222 b p.220 c p.221 d pp.221-222 e p.222 f p.223
Comment: Devotes one chapter to each President, through Clinton. Written for the layperson, well-referenced, with areas of speculation clearly identified, Dr. Zebra depends heavily on this book. Dr. Bumgarner survived the Bataan Death March and has written an unforgettable book casting a physician's eye on that experience.
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| Comment: Available on the web at: http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/truman.htm |
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| Comment: Accessed through washingtonpost.com: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25477-2003Jul21.html There is also a substantially inconsequential correction published the next day: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31867-2003Jul22.html |
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a p.29
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a p.108
Comment: A wonderful book!
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a p.102
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6 reviews