Comments on: A Doctor Speculates on Lincoln’s Genetic Defect

By: Linda H

Linda H — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:44:35 +0000

I can see why they feel the President Lincoln perhaps did have the MEN2b. With the symptoms & his mothers death.
I have MEN1 syndrome. I found this out when I turned 40. This disease can mask many. It is extremely rare and very complicated disease. Myself, I am extremely sick and have had multiple surgeries and testing and it is stil going at this time in my life.

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:09:16 +0000

Although, as you correctly say, the burden of proof is squarely on the doctors shoulders, it would be interesting to hear your explanations for the “evidence” described. It would also be interesting to read the original documentation by Dr Sotos on this matter, do you happen to have a link? And I agree with Anonymous that labeling this “wild” speculation is highly unfair as the argument you have presented above seems to be rooted in quite sound reasoning (although at the moment impossible to prove one way or the other).

By: Samuel P. Wheeler

Samuel P. Wheeler — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:24:00 +0000

Thanks for the comments!

Anonymous–The burden of proof rests squarely on the doctor’s shoulders. He made an interesting claim, but offered no solid evidence to support it.

Kevin–You’re right on the money!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:03:00 +0000

But that’s exactly the problem. There is no way to refute Sotos’s claims because it is simply speculation. As the article notes the only way to verify the claim is with a sample that may or may not reveal the DNA. Without it the so-called evidence can be explained any number of ways. Maybe Lincoln was just an awkward looking man.

Kevin at Civil War Memory

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:03:00 +0000

Why is this “wild” speculation? The reasoning seems pretty sound, as laid out in the Post story. I did not see you provide any refutation.