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--> --> Presidential illnesses By Jeff Cheek We Americans sometimes do strange things. We fought a revolution to free ourselves from a royal government, and in Article I, Section 9 of our constitution forbade all titles of nobility. Then we turn around and give our Chief Executive perks and privileges that many kings will envy. Why? Probably because we are dimly aware of the enormous burden the president must carry. It is a man killing job. Of the 43 elected presidents, 8, or l9 percent, have died in office; half of them by assassination. The presidents health is so important that any change will dramatically impact both foreign and domestic policy. To avoid this such information is sometimes hidden from the public. There are many examples from our past. George Washington suffered from recurring bouts of malaria. Fortunately, his years as commander of the Continental Army were relatively healthy. During his first term in office, while New York was the temporary capital, Dr. Samuel Bard removed a `malignant carbuncle" from his left thigh. It was probably a carcinoma, or cancer. Thomas Jefferson was so concerned about his health that he had himself and his family, his close friends, and his slaves vaccinated for smallpox. This was a radical decision at that time. The stress of his office gave Jefferson migraine headaches, which disappeared when he left office. Abraham Lincoln had a strong, rail splitter's body but suffered from periodic bouts of suicidal depression. His sense of humor was Lincoln's salvation. Critics assailed him for joking while men died in battle, but Lincoln confessed to a close friend that without these stories to divert him, the responsibilities of his office would drive him mad. Chester A. Arthur served out the balance of the term when President Garfield was assassinated Sept. 19, 1881. He made a halfhearted attempt to win renomination in 1884, but the Republicans choose James C. Blaine over the incumbent. Few knew that Arthur had been diagnosed with Bright's disease, a debilitating loss of kidney function, and had been warned that he would not survive a second term. Arthur concealed this news from the public, fearing that it would cause the stock market to crash. His doctor's timetable proved to be accurate. He died Nov. 18, 1886 roughly a year and a half after leaving office. Grover Cleveland is both our 22nd and 24th president as the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. He was gifted administrator and an honest man, but her lied to the public on one occasion. His administration was plagued with an economic depression. This created a crisis when he was diagnosed with oral cancer. The news could exacerbate the situation. Cleveland announced that he was taking a short vacation, a fishing trip. On July 1, 1893, Dr. J. D. Bryant surgically removed the malignant growth. A week or so later Cleveland reappeared. When reporters noticed a puffiness in his face, he told them it was from a tooth extraction. These are just a few of many presidential illnesses. President Hayes was healthy and had a good appetite. His favorite dinner was roast beef with Mashed Potato Puffs: INGREDIENTS: 2 cups cold mashed potatoes 2 tablespoons melted butter 2 eggs, beaten 6 tablespoons light cream Bread crumbs PREPARATION: Mix potatoes, butter, eggs and cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Shape into puffs, roll in bread crumbs, and place on greased pan. Brush with more butter, bake at 400 degree until brown, turning once. Serve warm. Jeff Cheek lives in Medford By Jeff Cheek Founded in 1630, Boston is one of the most important historical cities in the United States. The seeds of the American Revolution were sown here, with the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. The first shots were fired at Lexington, 16 miles north of the city. And Boston was the headquarters of the Abolitionist Movement which led to freedom for three million slaves. But there was a flaw in the political system, as this derisive jingle shows: "Boston, Boston, home of the bean and the cod, Where the Cabots speak only to the Lodges, And the Lodges speak only to God." The First Families with names like Adams, Cabot, Lodge and Lowell controlled the social, economic, and political destiny of the capital city of Massachusetts. It was an oligarchy rather than a democracy. The term WASP (White, Anglo Saxon, Protestant) was coined to describe these ruling families. To their credit, they also gave the city and state stable, uncorrupt government. At the same time, these First Families provided world class writers, poets, physicians and educators as well as politicians. Most of these leaders came from a school they had founded in 1636, Harvard University. It is the oldest university in America. So complete was their control of "their" college that until 1769, students were not listed alphabetically but by their family ranking in the community. This statistic is relevant: 42 individuals have been elected president. Serving non-consecutive terms, Cleveland is counted twice. 12 of these men never earned a college degree. Of the remaining 30, six, or 20 percent, are Harvard graduates! Their political power began to erode around 1850 with the influx of Irish immigrants fleeing the Potato Famine. To the First Families, these Irish Catholics were useful for menial labor but were unsuited for anything better. Managerial jobs were reserved for WASPs. "No Irish Need Apply" regularly appeared in the Help Wanted section of the newspapers. The Irish fought hack with the most powerful weapon a free people can have: the ballot. It was a bloodless revolution but the grandchildren of Irish immigrants now challenged the First Families for political power. The climactic battle was fought for a U.S. Senate seat in 1952. On one side was Congressman John F. Kennedy, Democrat, war hero, and grandson of a saloon keeper. John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, his grandfather, was a former mayor of Boston. Opposing him was the incumbent, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. First elected to the Senate in l936, he was also a war hero. He resigned his Senate seat in 1944 and served as Lt. Col. Lodge, commanding a tank battalion in Europe. He easily won his seat back in 1946. He traced his lineage back to two powerful First Families: Cabots and Lodges. And his Republican ticket was led by a popular general, Eisenhower. His grandfather, Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr., was a U.S. Senator for 30 years, from 1894 until his death in 1924. It looked like an easy victory but they forgot to factor in the incredible charisma of John Kennedy. On Election Day, Eisenhower won the White House and a majority in both houses. But not in Massachusetts. Lodge lost to JFK by 70,000 votes. Senator Lodge, Sr. insisted that the Senate Restaurant add his favorite soup to the menu, now just Senate Bean Soup. INGREDIENTS: 2 pounds small navy beans 1 ham hock 1 large onion, chopped 3 tablespoons butter PREPARATION: Wash beans in hot water, put in pot with four quarts hot water and ham hock. Braise onion in butter until golden, add to pot. Slow boil for three hours. Remove ham hock, add salt and pepper to taste and serve. Jeff Cheek lives in Medford Email your... 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