Posted on 05/05/2009 1:25:59 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A museum in Philadelphia plans to submit a sample of Abraham Lincoln's blood to scientific analysis in hopes of shedding light on the mysterious ailments that afflicted the 16th US president.
The Grand Army of the Republic Museum's board unanimously approved "further investigation into the sciences, legacy and history of the artefact," its vice-president Andy Waskie said.
The artefact is a piece of bloodstained pillow taken from the Peterson house where Mr Lincoln died in 1985 after being shot by an assassin in Fords Theatre in Washington, said Mr Waskie, a historian and professor at Temple University.
Acting on the advice of experts and scientists, the museum wants to plumb the sample for evidence of the numerous maladies that Mr Lincoln was supposed to have had.
"There are a number of investigators who are looking into Lincoln's physical state; there is always been some fascination about that," Mr Waskie said.
"Categorically we are going to continue with the investigation. It may lead to DNA analysis. We feel it will not damage the artefact in a great extent."
According to some theories, Mr Lincoln was suffering from cancer at the time of his death at age 56 of a gunshot to the head.
John Sotos, who has written books on the subject of Mr Lincoln's health and will be among the researchers examining the blood sample, believes Mr Lincoln suffered from Marfan syndrome.
A genetic disorder of the conjunctive tissues, Marfan syndrome is characterised by long limbs, premature cataracts or glaucoma, heart problems and often premature death.
Mr Lincoln also is believed to have suffered from chronic depression, which he himself referred to as "melancholy".
Mr Waskie said even Mr Lincoln's paternity has been questioned by experts, adding, "It may come out of the investigation."
"It's almost like CSI, we are doing a detective investigation," he said, referring to the television series that dramatises the use of modern forensics in solving crimes.
"Was Lincoln suffering from an uncurable disease? Was he going to die anyway?"
The museum hopes to present the experts' conclusions this year as part of the celebrations marking Mr Lincoln's 200th birthday, which was February 12.
Ping
Oh for God’s sake...
Lincoln died in 1985? "Artifact" is spelled "artefact"?
That Marfan disease is a bitch, I knew someone who had it. Does it usually cause depression?
As for Lincoln’s blood, doesn’t it liquify once a year?
No better way to say it.
It is spelled that way in Australia (link is from there).
(This is an Australian newspaper, so they use the British spelling, "artefact.")
Prediction: They’ll find out Lincoln has a small amount of African ancestry.
Spoilsport.
Yes, Lincoln died in 1985, outliving his relatives and attending the opening of his Memorial in Washington. He was known by his friends as liking to spend pennies, pointing to himself, and kidding the store clerks “Lookee here, hey, see anything you’d like to ask?”
Lincoln, when he died in March of 1985, left his papers and other odds and ends to his next door neighbor, Mr. Jesse James.
I think Catholics pray to it.
Thank you. I do try.
Our true first black president?
And after they do, they'll mix Hussein's blood with Lincoln's, clone the mixture and we'll have a future President named Barakaham Oblinkin.
Meanwhile, most Americans cannot correctly state the sides in the Civil War or the century in which it was fought, and a large percentage believes that we fought the redcoats in the Civil War.
So yes, it is important to know, and spend money on finding, the minutae found in Lincoln’s blood.
Wasn’t Eisenhauer 1/4 black via a grandmother, or was that just a kook rumor?
Wasn’t Eisenhower 1/4 black via a grandmother, or was that just a kook rumor?
I guess there were 6 black presidents! (you made me go look for stuff!)
http://www.diversityinc.com/public/1474.cfm
I don’t trust the source.
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