US architect wanted to turn dead George Washington into zombie

London, Jan 30 (ANI): While the nation mourned the death of George Washington, a mad scientist planned to reanimate the first president with lamb's blood after he died.

When Washington, who led the United States to independence, died in December 14, 1799, architect William Thornton believed America's first president was too important to leave the country so soon, the Daily Mail reported.

He concocted a mad scheme to reanimate Washington's body and bring him back from the dead.

The tale of zombie George Washington, revealed by the science fiction blog io9, is reminiscent of the best selling book 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter', which recast the 16th president as a combat-hardened vampire slayer.

When he died after catching cold following a ride on his plantation, Washington, 67, told his doctors 'I die hard but I am not afraid to go'.

His body was put on ice at his Mount Vernon estate as his family prepared for his funeral.

That's when Thornton, best known as the architect who designed the US Capitol, came calling and pitched a bizarre idea to the newly-widowed Martha Washington.

Thornton was also a trained doctor who had a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh. He had become entranced by the workings of the human body and the new concept of blood transfusion.

He wanted to thaw the political leader's body by the fire and rub it with blankets to warm him back up.

Then, Thornton would insert a fire bellows into his trachea to pump air back into his lungs.

The final, and most important step, would be giving him a transfusion of lamb'' blood.

Scientists and doctors of the day believed lamb's blood has special properties.

The story was culled from the 2008 book 'Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in 20th Century America' by Susan E. Lederer.

According to io9, Thornton thought the blood transfusion would give Washington's circulatory system "a spark of vitality" that would bring him back to life.

Ultimately, Martha Washington declined Thornton's offer to reanimate her husband, but not because it seemed too crazy to her.

Instead, she believed that after leading the Continental Army to victory over the British Empire and shepherding the nation through it's nascent years, he deserved a rest. (ANI)