While much is known about Ulysses Grant's military prowess, little is known about his headaches and headache therapy. Our objective is to study Grant's headache treatments to gain insight into 19th century headache management and the effect of his headaches on his legacy.

On April 8, 1865, the day before the Confederate army surrender at the Appomattox court house, Grant's military journal recounts a particularly debilitating bout of "sick headache," which was not alleviated with mustard paste. It was not until he read Confederate General Robert E. Lee's letter of surrender that his headache dissipated. Throughout his adult life, the aftermath of his "sick headaches," which sound akin to acute migraine attacks, have colored both his military and personal life. The rumor of Grant as a drunkard was well-known among his military family. However, he most likely had low alcohol tolerance and was falsely perceived as a drunkard; there is evidence that a doctor may have recommended alcohol for his headaches (Murphy, 2005). Further investigations into Grant's headaches and treatments will lead to better understanding of both his history and 19^th headache medicine.

We searched PubMed and newspaper archives for articles regarding Ulysses Grant's headaches, using search terms "Ulysses," "Grant," "headaches," and "treatment."

Ulysses Grant's headache remedies include topical chloroform, mustard, brandy, First Lady Julia Grant's "little pill" (of unknown composition), and stoicism. He would use these 19th century medical remedies with questionable success.