presidential blunders

Over the years, many presidents have gone to extreme lengths to mislead the country about their health. Never a good idea. In 1893, Grover Cleveland became aware of a strange spot on the roof of his mouth. His doctor, Major Robert O’Reilly, took a biopsy of a growth that appeared to be "nearly the size of a quarter with cauliflower granulation." Results of the test revealed it to be a nonmalignant though troublesome cancer, making surgery necessary. But Cleveland didn't want his condition to be known so as not to panic the financial markets. An elaborate scheme was put in place to hide his condition, which wasn't revealed until nine years after his death. On July 1, 1893, the first of two delicate oral surgeries was performed on Cleveland on the Oneida, a yacht owned by Commodore Elias Benedict. In addition to several teeth, a large chunk of Cleveland's upper left jaw and palate was removed. Eventually, the deep recess was filled with a rubber implant which the president wore for the rest of his life.