 During the exhibition Etty suffered a serious bout of rheumatic fever . Exhausted by illness and the stress of the exhibition , when the exhibition was complete he returned to York in very poor health . On 3 November 1849 he suffered a serious asthma attack , thought to have been made worse by his neglecting to wear his flannel undershirt the night before . His condition deteriorated rapidly , and by 10 November he was bedridden . On Tuesday 13 November , watching the sun set over the River Ouse , he was heard to say " Wonderful ! Wonderful ! This death ! " Later that night , Betsy Etty wrote to Joseph Gillott that " Uncle paid the last debt to nature at 1 ⁄ 4 past Eight <unk> tonight . I do not know what to do . I am almost broken hearted . I have lost my best friend . I now [ sic ] not what to do . I can say no more . " 
