Download Graham 1 Ashley M. Graham FYW 1182 Dr. Lloyd Benson 27 April

Graham 1
Ashley M. Graham
FYW 1182
Dr. Lloyd Benson
27 April 2010
Lincoln's Medical Mysteries
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America, endured both harsh
and trying obstacles during his time in office. Not only did he withstand the hardships of the
Civil War, but was also known to endure physical and emotional maladies as well. The
President suffered from countless bouts of depression, as well as, physical problems, such as
headaches, fatigue, fainting, cold hands and feet, loose-jointedness and more. While appearing
strong for the sake of the people, Abraham Lincoln was in fact weak when speaking of his failing
health. If the President had not been assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, it is not known how
much longer he would have been able to live. My research question revolves around the theory
of whether or not President Abraham Lincoln suffered from a genetic condition known as
Marfan Syndrome. Many researchers believe this condition was inflicting pain upon the
President before the assassination, and would have killed him if he had not been shot by John
Wilkes Booth.
At the time of the assassination, the medical practices were both barbaric and highly
unsanitary, when scrutinized by the eyes of current doctors. When Dr. Leale, one of the first
Doctor's to examine Lincoln on the balcony at Ford's Theatre, first inserted his finger into the
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gunshot wound on the back on Lincoln's head, he not only welcomed the spread of germs and the
beginning of an infection, but could have potentially caused more harm than good. Using this
sort of probe could have easily ruptured blood vessels in the brain that had not been hit, or
crossed into the path of the projectile during the assassination. Dr. Leale stated, "I believe that
he would not have lived five minutes longer if the pressure on the brain had not been relieved
and if he had not been left that much longer in the sitting posture."1 This statement reveals a
complete misunderstanding of the extent of damage caused during brain trauma injuries. The
blood that exited after removing his finger could have very well been from damage caused by the
doctor himself, rather than from the actual previous injury. In addition to this, the prevalence
and supply of information regarding antiseptic measures was not yet established during the time
of the assassination. Most doctors were generally unaware of the dangers of infection, although
there were many articles published providing guidelines for hand washing and regulations for
surgical procedures. One such guideline was established, that insisted that doctors must wash
their hands in chlorinated lime before entering a surgical room, thus reducing the risk of
puerperal fever and the spread of germs and disease. Although it cannot be certain that
Abraham Lincoln would have even survived this injury using current medical practices, there
was not much more that the doctors of the time could have done for the dying President, even
with the barbaric procedures used by Dr. Leale and the others.2
One practice commonly used to study the physical features and intellect of the people of
the mid 1800's, was through the science of phrenology. Phrenology is the study of the shape of
the skull, in relation to certain personality traits that a person possesses. The size of specific
areas of the skull, correspond to the person's capacity to contain explicit character traits. The
1
2
Fraser,Richard A.R.. "How Did Lincoln Die?." American Heritage 46.1 (1995):63.
Ibid.
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idea behind this concept is that the brain is the central organ of the mind, and there are certain,
assigned areas that have specific logical functions. German physician Franz Joseph Gall was one
of the first researchers to study the different areas of the skull, and was the first real practitioner
of phrenology.3 Reports on Lincoln have been published in the American Phrenological Journal
of October of 1864, critiquing the shape of the president's head, in relation to the traits that these
areas contain. One such critique is that:
“He has large Benevolence, large Conscientiousness, and large Hope. His Veneration is
full, and his Spirituality average. His religion consist more in kindness and justice than
in faith, humility, or devotion. To do right and to do good are his leading moral
characteristics. Socially, he is strong in his attachments, constant in his affections and
well adapted to wedded life. Intellectually, there is nothing wanting. His Causality is
full, Comparison is large, and nearly all the perceptives large and active."4
Each of the characteristics described, pertain to a specific location on the skull. The areas that
have been described are in fact the largest areas on Lincoln's head and are therefore stated to be
his most revealing character traits.
With the prevalence of phrenology of the time, it was a popular tradition to cast moldings
of the face, so as to easily measure the specific regions and determine a person's character traits.
Abraham Lincoln had not only a molding made of his face, but also of his hands too. These
relics have become key pieces of evidence for investigating the theory insisting that Abraham
Lincoln possessed Marfan Syndrome (arachnodactyly). Marfan Syndrome is an inherited birth
defect in which the skeletal, visual and cardiovascular systems are all affected. Victims of the
disease possess long arms, legs and fingers, loose joints, poor musculature, dislocation of the eye
3
John van Wyhe. "What Was Phrenology?." The History of Phrenology on the Web.
http://www.historyofphrenology.org.uk/overview.htm (accessed April 13,2010).
4
Fowler & Wells "Abraham Lincoln: Portrait, Character, and Biography." American Phrenological Journal and Life
Illustrated (1864).
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lens, an absence of a fatty layer under the skin, slender appearance, and abnormalities of the
heart and blood vessels. This disease is inherited through an autosomal inheritance pattern,
meaning that the gene can be passed down from either father or mother, but does not have to be
inherited from both parents.5
One such doctor that has taken a keen interest into the former president's health, is Dr.
Harold Schwartz, MD of Huntington Park, California. While treating a young male patient
suffering from Marfan syndrome in the early 1960's, Schwartz discovered a common lineage
between the boy and Lincoln. This breakthrough sparked an interest in Schwartz's mind that led
the doctor to do some digging into Lincoln's past. The correlations between Abraham Lincoln's
health and the findings of other Marfan syndrome patients were almost identical. Lincoln
possessed similar skeletal system structures as well as optical discrepancies. He too had a
sunken breast, possessed overly large extremities, was loose-jointed, and suffered from an
optical dislocation of the lens causing the left eye to droop. While examining portraits of the
time, Lincoln too appears to have elongated arms, that are explicitly longer than the average
humans by as much as two full inches. During the Civil War, while seated with a group of
Maine Lumbermen, Lincoln remarked "I don't believe that there is a man in that regiment with
longer arms than mine." In addition to looking at the former president's arm span, the structure
of Lincoln's hands have also been reviewed by analyzing the molds created by Volk, a popular
artist of the time. While comparing Lincoln's hands to the size of an average hand, Bartlett, a
sculptor and Lincoln scholar, has found that "they are large long hands. The first phalanx of the
middle finger is nearly half an inch longer than that of an ordinary hand." Lincoln's two hands
were also disproportionate to one another, which is an unusual trait for the average healthy
5
Beck, Joan. "Joan Beck's Mail: Diagnosing Marfan's Syndrome." Chicago Tribune, July 5, 1970.
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person. This description accurately depicts the common features associated with a person
suffering from Marfan syndrome.6
With continual research of both Dr. Schwartz current patient of the time, as well as the
Lincoln ancestors of the past, Schwartz was able to piece together a theory leading the origins of
the Marfan syndrome gene to Abraham Lincoln's Great-Great Grandfather Mordecai Lincoln II.
With researching Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, it became apparent that Lincoln must have
inherited the gene from her, which in turn was inherited from his ancient ancestors, although it
cannot be absolutely certain that his Father was not a carrier himself. When looking at the
medical ailments that have afflicted the Lincoln family tree, the presence of eye problems
became one of the number one commonalities between the early and later generations of
Lincolns. Not only did Abraham Lincoln suffer from severe hyperopia himself, but he appears
to have passed it onto his children as well. Thomas "Tad" Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's youngest
son, was blind in one eye, with the other being extremely weak. Robert Lincoln, Abraham's
Lincoln's oldest son, too possessed an eye problem that appeared to have caused him a degree of
difficulty. Additional connections are being made that link together alternate members of the
Lincoln ancestry to the Marfan gene, but at this point, Mordecai Lincoln II is the oldest
connection that researchers have been able to accurately assure.7
With the information that has been gathered by researchers from multiple ages, it is
curious to see the strong popularity and interest in the health of Abraham Lincoln, thriving to this
very day. The quest to collect a sample of Lincoln's DNA is still undergoing review from the
relics owners, and the process is being drawn out to debate the historical, as well as medical,
6
7
Schwartz, Harold. "Abraham Lincoln and the Marfan Syndrome." JAMA 187 (1964): 473-479.
Ibid.
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purposes surrounding the history of the evidence. Many Doctors would love to test the DNA to
see if Abraham Lincoln really did have Marfan syndrome, or if this is all just some false rumor
started to spark interest in Lincoln. From the historical standpoint, historians do not want to see
a priceless piece of history destroyed, never to be seen again. Scientific doctor, Dr. Darwin J.
Prockop, chairman of biochemistry and molecular biology at Jefferson Medical College in
Philadelphia, is looking to find a solution that fits both of the criteria. Dr. Prockop is hoping to
get approval from a private owner to analyze a small sample of bone in order to clone Lincoln's
DNA for further, widespread examination. The scientist states that he would only need a testing
sample of bone weighing one one-hundredth-thousandth of a millionth of a gram in order to test
for DNA. To clone the DNA, Dr. Prockop is hoping to use a process known as polymerase chain
reaction to make millions of copies of Lincoln's DNA for further testing. With taking this into
consideration, a review board was created and has been skeptical on allowing this procedure to
take place. Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, director of the Washington Museum stated "While I think there
is historical and educational value in learning about Lincoln's health, we think there are ethical,
political and scientific questions that should be considered before making available material we
are charged with preserving to be destructively tested." While each side has a valid point, it will
be curious to see what the final outcome of the struggle is.8
Marfan syndrome today differs very little from the Marfan syndrome cases of the past.
Today, an approximate 40,000 Americans are afflicted with this disease, affecting one in every
20,000 people. In an attempt to lower this statistic and provide options for potential carriers,
scientists have finally developed a method for testing the presence of the gene, before the
infected child is born. The scientists are hoping to be able to implement prenatal tests to probe
8
Leary, Warren E. "A Search for Lincoln's DNA." New York Times, February 10, 1991.
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and diagnose if the carriers children will be affected. Priscilla Ciccariello of the Marfan
Foundation in Port Washington stated, "It means accurate diagnosis for the family members.
You can identify it at once and end the terrible uncertainty." The gene responsible for this lifethreatening disease was initially thought to be held on Chromosome 15, but it is now known that
Marfan syndrome, and the production of the fibrillin gene, is controlled by a family of several
fibrillin genes. These genes are located on several chromosomes, rather than just the one,
making the process all the more complicated.9
Abraham Lincoln is still to this day one of the most popular presidents of all time, and
continues to spark the interest of the public eye. In addition to the theories of cancer, Marfan
syndrome, MEN2B, and aortic heart insufficiency afflicting pain upon the president's health,
Lincoln has experienced a wide array of additional medical ailments that catch the eye of even
the younger generation. Researchers have come to connect to Lincoln through his neardrowning experience as a boy, his concussion from being kicked in the head by a horse at age 9,
being clubbed in the head by a band of robbers while returning from New Orleans, or almost
cutting off his finger while chopping wood. While reading about his continuous battle with
syphilis throughout his lifetime, as well as his fatal jaw fracture that occurred after a dentist
broke off a portion of his jaw bone while pulling out a tooth (without the aid of anesthesia), the
entire population can find a common connection with the early president. Whether it be through
a laugh or a cringe, Abraham Lincoln is still to this day known as a man of the people.10
9
Washington, Liz Hunt. "Scientists Discover Gene Linked to Marfan Syndrome: Prenatal Tests Possible." The
Washington Post, July 25,1991.
10
Dr. Zebra "The Health and Medical History of President Abraham Lincoln." The Physical Lincoln.
http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/g16.htm (accessed April 14,2010).