The "milk-sick" came to the Lincoln family

[Troy Cowan]

White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) is a moisture loving, shade tolerant plant. When rain is plentiful, grass grows well on sunny pastures and cattle are well feed and they don't come in contact with white snakeroot. 1816 marked the beginning of a decade long dry period. Cattle would forage down by the stream under the shade of a tree where the snakeroot would be found.

Snakeroot is plentiful in Kentucky and in southern Indiana and southern Illinois. Cattle eating it may come down with the tremors. If they ate too much, they would probably die. Too much would be 1% of their total body weight.

People drinking the milk from cows that ate too much snakeroot would show signs of muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and tremors. Onset could occur two days after drinking the milk or up to two weeks. Recover was slow, taking two to twelve days. Many didn't recover. Thousands died of the milk sick.

Years later, Abraham wrote, “She coughed at times and often would have to lie down for a little while. We did not know she was ill. She was worn, yellow, and sad."