Lincoln and Syphilis

[AussieMick]

We have no idea whether Lincoln suffered from syphilis.

We do know that syphilis affected a significant number of the world's population during his lifetime. The actual rate is difficult to identify. Doctors were fearful of telling wives that they were suffering from syphilis ( it was normally the husbands that were paying the medical bills). They were reluctant to state a cause of death as being syphilis.

I see one study in the UK for pre-WW1 males has the rate as being 7.8%
https://academic.oup.com/shm/article/27/3/508/1680054

All the above comment is aimed at making the point that it would be reasonable for Lincoln to concerned as to whether he had contracted syphilis before marriage. Obviously, this would have required sexual activity ... and we have no proof that he was not a virgin when he first met Mary.

A knee-jerk comment would be to assert that he was a man with the same natural urges as most other men at that time and it would have been natural for him to be sexually active. However, he was teetotal (I'm being serious) so he was able to resist peer pressure and he could have controlled his desires.
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...tongue.gif
It seems to me (and Ok I have no proof) that he would have had concerns about syphilis and the possibility of him having it. Continuing this line of surmising, it would cause a huge amount of concern for him pre-marriage and would explain his depression and peculiar behaviour.

Then I move on to his letter to Dr Drake asking for advice. He read this to his friend Speed, apparently, but (and I think it significant) he omitted a portion.

In Pox: Genius, Madness, And The Mysteries Of Syphilis
By Deborah Hayden, it is stated that William Herndon wrote that Lincoln told him that he'd contracted syphilis in 1835 or 36. Gore Vidal believed this to be true and said so on US Tv .

Having written all that I am now thinking that you've probably already discussed the issue on the forum ... I did search but couldnt find anything.