The Life Of George Holcomb – Two Year Old Geo P. Is Gravely Ill

Tuesday, November 27, 1827: This morning I carried my children to school, and I cleaned the barn floor and Samuel began to thresh oats.  Tonight Garret Hires had my bay mare to go after the doctor for his wife.
Wednesday: I carried my children to school and I sorted some corn in the crib and we made barnyard fences.  Tonight my son is more unwell and stopped to in the stomach and I was broke of my rest.
Thursday: Today I carried and fetched my children to school.  Today some snow and rain.  I mended our horse sled and I borrowed a vial of oil of Castor, for my child continued stopped at the stomach.  We gave the medicine, or part of it, to said child.
Friday: Today quite rainy.  We took off a cider cheese and we helped brother Wm some about making cider, and I went over to brother I Newton’s and he went with me up into Elder Mathew Jones’ lot and we got slippery elm bark for to make drink for my child.  I returned home and found my child more distressed for breathing and we was more alarmed.  I was getting ready to go for Doctor Graves and Doctor Tanner was passing.  I called him in to see the child and he told us the child had the rattles and it was his opinion that it was past cure.  He left a little blister plaster to apply if Doctor Graves failed.  This evening I had brother Wm go after Doctor Graves and he came and stayed all night.
Saturday, December 1: This morning our child was not any better.  I sent brother Wm after Doctor Right for council for Doctor Graves, for my child continues to be more sick, but said Right was not to home and he returned and I went after him about ten this morning, but he had come home and gone again, and I returned home and about two this afternoon I went again after Right and found him to home, and he found my child very sick, but not of the rattles as Tanner said.  He powerfully operated on the child, a puking and phisicing and releaved him shortly of the distress and said the complaint was on the lungs.  Tonight sister Eleanor and Aseneth Newton watched.
Sunday: This morning before day, Right and Graves both came to doctor said child, but child complaint in the stomach, and I rode to Elem Tilden’s and paid 75 cts for a bottle of caster oil, seneca, and three cts for six crackers.  I called to Doctor Right’s and got his pipe to give injections, and today Graves called down from meeting to see said child, and tonight we were quite frightened about the child, and we got Frederick Russell to go after Right and Platt Wylie after Graves.  Tonight Polly Bailey watches with our child.