Health of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, faced many health challenges during his life. Until middle age, he was generally healthy, but he did suffer from serious illnesses. In 1830 and again in 1835, he got very sick with malaria. Later, in 1863, during an outbreak in Washington, D.C., he caught smallpox.

Lincoln also experienced deep sadness and periods of depression throughout his life. Doctors at the time gave him pills called blue mass that contained mercury, and some believe this may have made him very ill. Some historians think he might have had rare genetic conditions like Marfan syndrome or Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. His health story helps us understand more about the challenges leaders faced long ago.

Health and trauma

Lincoln's health was generally good until middle age. When he was nine, a horse kicked him in the head, and he lost consciousness for several hours. He had other injuries, like almost cutting off his thumb with an axe and getting frostbite on his feet.

Lincoln had malaria twice, once in 1830 and again in 1835. The second time, he was very sick and had to stay with a neighbor for care. In 1863, while giving a speech, he became very ill with a disease that affected his daily life and limited who he could meet.

Main article: William Henry Johnson (valet) § Smallpox

Genetic disorder theories

Some people have wondered if Abraham Lincoln's health was getting worse before he passed away. They looked at old photos that seem to show he lost weight and his muscles got smaller. There are ideas that he might have had rare genetic conditions called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B or Marfan syndrome.

In 1962, a doctor thought Lincoln might have had Marfan syndrome because of how he looked. Later, in 2007, another idea came up that he could have had MEN2B. This idea pointed to things like his body shape, large lips, and some health issues he had. However, since Lincoln lived until he was 56 and MEN2B usually causes serious problems much earlier, many think this idea doesn’t fit well.

Debunked theories

Some people have said that Abraham Lincoln had a disease called syphilis around 1835. But doctors who looked at the facts say he did not have it. They think the worries about syphilis back then were like how people today worry about certain illnesses.

Another idea was that Lincoln had a condition called spinocerebellar ataxia, but doctors no longer think this is true either.