“Lincoln’s melancholy never failed to impress any man who ever saw or knew him. The perpetual look of sadness was his most prominent feature. The
cause of this peculiar condition was a matter of frequent discussion among his friends. His liver failed to work properly—did not secrete bile—and
his bowels were equally as inactive. ‘I used to advise him to take blue-mass pills,’ related Stuart, ‘and he did take them before he went to
Washington, and for five months while he was President, but when I came on to Congress he told me had ceased using them because they made him
cross.”[4]
Lincoln's use of blue mass may have altered his behavior, and may explain the erratic behavior and violent rages to which he was subject over a period
of years prior to the Civil War in the United States. Some historians believe that this explains the contrast between his earlier behavior (while he
was perhaps suffering from mercury poisoning from his use of Blue Mass) and his later behavior during the war (after he had stopped taking blue mass),
given that most of the effects of mercury poisoning are reversible.[5][6]
There is, however, evidence that Lincoln continued to take blue mass. An interview given by his wife Mary Todd Lincoln to a correspondent from the
Pittsburgh Chronicle suggests that Lincoln continued his use of the medication, despite his earlier statements to the contrary. In the interview Mrs.
Lincoln described an instance in which her husband’s “usual medicine,” the mercury based “blue pills” made him terribly ill. Mrs. Lincoln
“recalled the fact that her husband had been very ill, for several days, from the effects of a dose of blue pills taken shortly before his second
inauguration.” She said he was not well, and appearing to require his usual medicine, blue pills, she sent to the drug store in which Harrold was
employed last and got a dose and gave them to him at night before going to bed, and that next morning his pallor terrified her. ‘His face,’ said
she, pointing to the bed beside which she sat, ‘was white as that pillow-case, as it lay just there,’ she exclaimed, laying her hand on the
pillow—‘white, and such a deadly white; as he tried to rise he sank back again quite overcome!’ She described his anxiety to be up, there was so
much to do, and her persistence and his oppressive languor in keeping him in bed for several days; said he and she both thought it so strange that the
pills should affect him in that way; they never had done so before, and both concluded they would get no more medicine there, as the attendant
evidently did not understand making up prescriptions.[7]
[Poor pharmacist just wanted to give the important man an extra strong dose of medicine!]
Unfortunately, since no hair samples from Lincoln during this period are available, it is impossible to determine whether or not he was truly
suffering from mercury poisoning while he was taking the blue mass.
Other famous historical figures, such as Ulysses S. Grant, may also have taken blue mass regularly. |
, hypophosphate and
arsenate
" and left to dissolve. Best of all, they came in boxes of approx 150g.
.
As to whether it is a good trade, I ain't
certain...
