1. POLK ~ INTRODUCTION, PROLOGUE, KEY DATES AND CHAPTERS 1-2 (xi - 36) (02/07/11 - 02/13/11) ~ No spoilers, please

[Bryan]

Bentley wrote: "Did anybody else find the description of the surgery performed on young Polk to be ghastly. I wondered if that was the source of his continued frailty throughout life and why he drank so much wate..."

I shuddered when I read this. Whoa. John Adams' daughter went through a mastectomy and it was a horrid process!

[Bryan]

Bentley wrote: "Does anybody know why Sam Polk (James Polk's father) was arrested for public fighting? What was the disagreement about?

Also, Aaron V. Brown served as Polk's law partner and best man and the autho..."

Funny, I will have to check my notes, but I don't remember Brown coming up very often in the book. He could be referring to Polk's races as Congressman.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bryan wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Did anybody else find the description of the surgery performed on young Polk to be ghastly. I wondered if that was the source of his continued frailty throughout life and why he dr..."


I agree; I kept having a mental image of what they did to him. And you are right...Adams' daughter went through even a similar or probably worse ordeal.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Probably the case since it was also a swamp.

[Bryan]

No doubt; bad place to live.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Yes, odd isn't it that with all of the land available at the time; why didn't they choose a healthy and pretty place.

[Bryan]

Bentley wrote: "Yes, odd isn't it that with all of the land available at the time; why didn't they choose a healthy and pretty place."

I wonder about that in general, why people pick certain parcels, some are good and some not so good. I agree, in Polk's time, I'd think you had some better choices.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Absolutely...the place made people sick...probably still does (hehe)