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Personal Political
16th President of the United States First term Second term Presidential elections Assassination and legacy | ||
Abraham Lincoln's health has been the subject of both contemporaneous commentary and subsequent hypotheses by historians and scholars. Until middle age, his health was fairly good for the time. He contracted malaria in 1830 and 1835; the latter was the worse of the two cases. He contracted smallpox in 1863 during an 1863 to 1864 epidemic in Washington, D.C.
Throughout his life he experienced periods of depression, which could have been genetic, due to life experiences or trauma, or both. Lincoln took blue mass pills, which contained mercury. Based on his behavior and physical condition while taking the pills and after he quit taking them, Lincoln may have suffered from mercury poisoning. It has been theorized that Lincoln had Marfan syndrome or Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B, both rare genetic diseases.
Despite the following occurrences, Lincoln's health up until middle age was fairly good for his day. [1] [2]
When he was nine years old, Lincoln was kicked in the head by a horse at the Noah Gordon Mill and was knocked unconscious for several hours. [3] Other injuries or trauma throughout his life include almost severing one of his thumbs with an axe, [4] incurring frostbite of his feet in 1830–1831, [5] being struck by his wife (apparently on multiple occasions), [6] and being clubbed on the head during a robbery attempt in 1828. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, dying from a bullet wound. [7]
Lincoln was contemporaneously described as suffering from melancholy, a condition that modern mental health professionals would characterize as clinical depression. [17] Lincoln suffered from a depressed mood after major traumatic events, such as the death of Ann Rutledge in August 1835, [18] the cessation of his (purported) engagement to Mary Todd Lincoln in January 1841 (after which several close associates feared Lincoln's suicide), [19] [lower-alpha 1] and after the Second Battle of Bull Run. [21] During his life Lincoln experienced the death of multiple close family members, including his mother, his sister, and two of his sons, Eddie and Willie. [22] Mary Lincoln felt her husband to be too trusting, and his melancholy tended to strike at times that he was betrayed or unsupported by those in whom he put faith. [23] Whether he may have suffered from depression as a genetic predilection, as a reaction to multiple emotional traumas in his life, [22] or a combination thereof is the subject of much current conjecture. [24]
Lincoln often combated his melancholic moods by delving into works of humor, likely a healthy coping mechanism for his depression. [25]
The recollections of Lincoln's legal colleagues (John T. Stuart, Henry Clay Whitney, Ward Hill Lamon, and William Herndon) all agree that Lincoln took blue mass pills, [26] which were commonly prescribed for hypochondriasis [lower-alpha 2] and melancholia. [27] It has been used since the 16th century to treat syphilis and by the mid-19th century was prescribed for a wide variety of ills. [27] The active ingredient of blue mass is elemental mercury – a substance now known to be a neurotoxin in its valproic state [28] [lower-alpha 3] and which has been known to be poisonous for centuries. [27] [lower-alpha 4]
Lincoln may have taken the blue mass pills for constipation, [27] [26] as well as hypochondriasis, or what has been called persistent constipation-melancholia complex. Both conditions were well known by his friends and family to have significantly affected Lincoln throughout his life. [27] [lower-alpha 5]
Authors of Abraham Lincoln's Blue Pills: Did Our 16th President Suffer from Mercury Poisoning? find that it is a reasonable assumption that Lincoln had experienced mercury poisoning due to the differences in his behavior and physical condition when he was taking the blue mass pills versus when he stopped taking the pills. [27] When he was taking the blue mass pills, he was prone to outbursts of rage, bizarre behavior, memory loss, and insomnia. His hands trembled when he was under stress. Taking the medicine made Lincoln feel "cross". These issues, described in detail by those who were close to him, are common symptoms of mercury poisoning. When he stopped taking the medicine, and during a period of profound personal and professional stress, he "behaves like a saint". [27] [lower-alpha 6] Lincoln may also have had long-term effects as the result of mercury poisoning, such as nerve damage that affected his gait. [27]
Shortly after his 1861 inauguration, Lincoln had a sudden and disquieting outburst of rage during a White House conversation. Finding that the blue mass pills made him "cross", Lincoln stopped taking them about August 1861 (5 months after his March inauguration). Then his anger greatly diminished, so much so that he rarely expressed anger and then only when it was situationally appropriate. [27]
The remarkable thing about Lincoln's temper is not how often it erupted, but how seldom it did, considering how frequently he encountered the insolence of epaulets, the abuse of friends and opponents alike, and the egomaniacal selfishness of editors, senators, representatives, governors, cabinet members, generals, and flocks of others who pestered him unmercifully about their own petty concerns.
— Thomas L. Carson, Lincoln's Ethics, Cambridge University Press, 2015, p. 246. [27]
The habitus, or structure, of Lincoln's body attracted attention while he was alive, and continues to attract attention today among medical professionals. [31]
The theory that Lincoln's facial asymmetries were a manifestation of craniofacial microsomia [38] has been replaced with a diagnosis of left synostotic frontal plagiocephaly, [31] which is a type of craniosynostosis.
Several claims have been made that Lincoln's health was declining before the assassination. These are often based on photographs of Lincoln appearing to show weight loss and muscle wasting. [39] The theories are that he suffered from multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B) or Marfan syndrome, rare genetic disorders. [39] DNA analysis of a pillowcase stained with Lincoln's blood, currently in possession of the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library in Philadelphia may be able to resolve open questions about Lincoln's health. [39] [40]
Based on Lincoln's unusual physical appearance, Dr. Abraham Gordon proposed in 1962 that Lincoln had Marfan syndrome. Testing Lincoln's DNA for Marfan syndrome was contemplated in the 1990s, but such a test was not performed. [41]
Lincoln's unremarkable cardiovascular history and his normal visual acuity have been the chief objections to the hypothesis, and today geneticists consider the diagnosis unlikely. [42] [43]
In 2007, Dr. John Sotos proposed that Lincoln had multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B). [44] This hypothesis suggests Lincoln had all the major features of the disease: a marfanoid body shape, large, bumpy lips, constipation, hypotonia, a history compatible with cancer—to which Sotos ascribes the death of Lincoln's sons Eddie, Willie, and Tad, and probably his mother. The mole on Lincoln's right cheek, the asymmetry of his face, his large jaw, his drooping eyelid, and pseudodepression are also suggested as manifestations of MEN2B. MEN2B is a genetic disorder, and recently it has been demonstrated that Lincoln's biological mother, Nancy Lincoln, had many of the same unusual facial features as her son, as well as a marfanoid appearance. [45]
Lincoln's longevity is the principal challenge to the MEN2B hypothesis: Lincoln lived long enough to be assassinated at age 56. Untreated MEN2B is generally understood to result in death by the patient's mid-thirties, but there are several reported cases of MEN2B patients surviving into their 50s with no or little treatment. The hypothesis could be proven by DNA testing. [46] [47]
Claims that Lincoln had syphilis around 1835 have been controversial. [lower-alpha 7] Syphilis was a common worry among young men before the introduction of penicillin [51] because syphilis was somewhat common in that era. [52] Physicians likened the fear of syphilis, syphilophobia, to the modern fear of AIDS, which is also deadly and incurable. [49]
Writing in 2003, biographer David Donald declared, "Modern physicians who have sifted the evidence agree that Lincoln never contracted the disease." For instance, he did not have any of the signs of tertiary syphilis. Physicians suggest that he had syphilophobia. [52] [lower-alpha 5]
The theory that Lincoln was afflicted with type 5 spinocerebellar ataxia [53] is no longer accepted. [54]
Abraham Lincoln was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the United States through the American Civil War, defending the nation as a constitutional union, defeating the insurgent Confederacy, abolishing slavery, expanding the power of the federal government, and modernizing the U.S. economy.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents. The primary stage classically presents with a single chancre though there may be multiple sores. In secondary syphilis, a diffuse rash occurs, which frequently involves the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. There may also be sores in the mouth or vagina. In latent syphilis, which can last for years, there are few or no symptoms. In tertiary syphilis, there are gummas, neurological problems, or heart symptoms. Syphilis has been known as "the great imitator" as it may cause symptoms similar to many other diseases.
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a multi-systemic genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue. Those with the condition tend to be tall and thin, with long arms, legs, fingers, and toes. They also typically have exceptionally flexible joints and abnormally curved spines. The most serious complications involve the heart and aorta, with an increased risk of mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm. The lungs, eyes, bones, and the covering of the spinal cord are also commonly affected. The severity of the symptoms is variable.
Arsphenamine, also known as Salvarsan or compound 606, is an antibiotic drug that was introduced at the beginning of the 1910s as the first effective treatment for syphilis, relapsing fever, and African trypanosomiasis. This organoarsenic compound was the first modern antimicrobial agent.
David Herbert Donald was an American historian, best known for his 1995 biography of Abraham Lincoln. He twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography for earlier works; he published more than 30 books on United States political and literary figures and the history of the American South.
The sexuality of Abraham Lincoln has been the topic of historical speculation and research. No such discussions have been documented during or shortly after Lincoln's lifetime; however, in recent decades, some historians and authors have begun discussing potential evidence that he may not have been heterosexual.
Francis Tumblety was an Irish-born American medical quack who earned a small fortune posing as an "Indian Herb" doctor throughout the United States and Canada. He was an eccentric self-promoter and was often in trouble with the law. He has been put forward as a suspect for the notorious and unsolved Jack the Ripper murder spree in Whitechapel, London, in 1888.
Calomel is a mercury chloride mineral with formula Hg2Cl2 (see mercury(I) chloride). The name derives from Greek kalos (beautiful) and melas (black) because it turns black on reaction with ammonia. This was known to alchemists.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln was the mother of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Her marriage to Thomas Lincoln also produced a daughter, Sarah, and a son, Thomas Jr. When Nancy and Thomas had been married for just over 10 years, the family moved from Kentucky to western Perry County, Indiana, in 1816. When Spencer County was formed in 1818, the Lincoln Homestead lay within its current boundaries. Nancy Lincoln died from milk sickness or consumption in 1818 at the Little Pigeon Creek Community in Spencer County when Abraham was nine years old.
Edward Baker Lincoln was the second son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. He was named after Lincoln's close friend, Edward Dickinson Baker. Both Abraham and Mary spelled his name "Eddy"; however, the National Park Service uses "Eddie" as a nickname and the nickname also appears spelled this way on his crypt at the Lincoln tomb.
Blue mass was the name of a mercury-based medicine common from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The oldest formula is ascribed to one Barbarossa, in a letter to Francis I of France.
Nosophobia, also known as disease phobia or illness anxiety disorder, is the irrational fear of contracting a disease, a type of specific phobia. Primary fears of this kind are fear of contracting HIV infection, pulmonary tuberculosis (phthisiophobia), sexually transmitted infections, cancer (carcinophobia), heart diseases (cardiophobia), and catching the common cold or flu.
In homeopathy, arsenicum album (Arsenic. alb.) is a solution prepared by diluting aqueous arsenic trioxide generally until there is little amounts of Arsenic remaining in individual doses. It is used by homeopaths to treat a range of symptoms that include digestive disorders and, as an application of the Law of Similars, has been suggested by homeopathy as a treatment for arsenic poisoning. Since the arsenic oxide in a homeopathic preparation is normally non-existent, it is considered generally safe, although cases of arsenic poisoning from poorly prepared homeopathic treatments sold in India have been reported. When properly prepared, however, the extreme dilutions, typically to at least 1 in 1024, or 12C in homeopathic notation, mean that a pill would not contain even a molecule of the original arsenic used. While Anisur Khuda-Bukhsh's unblinded studies have claimed an effect on reducing arsenic toxicity, they do not recommend its large-scale use, and studies of homeopathic remedies have been shown to generally have problems that prevent them from being considered unambiguous evidence. There is no known mechanism for how arsenicum album could remove arsenic from a body, and there is insufficient evidence for it to be considered effective medicine (for any condition) by the scientific community.
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus, which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980, making smallpox the only human disease to have been eradicated to date.
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B is a genetic disease that causes multiple tumors on the mouth, eyes, and endocrine glands. It is the most severe type of multiple endocrine neoplasia, differentiated by the presence of benign oral and submucosal tumors in addition to endocrine malignancies. It was first described by Wagenmann in 1922, and was first recognized as a syndrome in 1965-1966 by E.D. Williams and D.J. Pollock. It is caused by the pathogenic variant p.Met918Thr in the RET gene. This variant can cause medullary thyroid cancer and Pheochromocytoma. Presentation can include a Marfanoid body, enlarged lips, and ganglionueuromas.
A retrospective diagnosis is the practice of identifying an illness after the death of the patient using modern knowledge, methods and disease classifications. Alternatively, it can be the more general attempt to give a modern name to an ancient and ill-defined scourge or plague.
William Henry Johnson was a free African American and a sometime personal valet of Abraham Lincoln. Having first worked for Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, Johnson accompanied the President-Elect to Washington, D.C. for his first inauguration (1861).
The first recorded outbreak of syphilis in Europe occurred in 1494/1495 in Naples, Italy, during a French invasion. Because it was spread geographically by French troops returning from that campaign, the disease was known as "French disease", and it was not until 1530 that the term "syphilis" was first applied by the Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro. The causative organism, Treponema pallidum, was first identified by Fritz Schaudinn and Erich Hoffmann in 1905 at the Charité Clinic in Berlin. The first effective treatment, Salvarsan, was developed in 1910 by Sahachiro Hata in the laboratory of Paul Ehrlich. It was followed by the introduction of penicillin in 1943.
Lincoln sign is the medical sign consisting of excessive popliteal artery pulsation due to hemodynamic effects of aortic regurgitation. This sign is associated with Marfan syndrome, in which aortic root dilation and aortic incompetence are common features.
Marfanoid–progeroid–lipodystrophy syndrome (MPL), also known as Marfan lipodystrophy syndrome (MFLS) or progeroid fibrillinopathy, is an extremely rare medical condition which manifests as a variety of symptoms including those usually associated with Marfan syndrome, an appearance resembling that seen in neonatal progeroid syndrome, and severe partial lipodystrophy. It is a genetic condition that is caused by mutations in the FBN1 gene, which encodes profibrillin, and affects the cleavage products of profibrillin, fibrillin-1, a fibrous structural protein, and asprosin, a glucogenic protein hormone. As of 2016, fewer than 10 cases of the condition have been reported. Lizzie Velásquez and Abby Solomon have become known publicly through the media for having the condition.
[March 31, 1860] ...one day while I was sharpening a wedge on a log, the axe glanced and nearly took my thumb off, and there is the scar, you see.