(April 13) -- Abraham Lincoln was gunned down 144 years ago Tuesday at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Now a doctor wants to test a relic of the assassination -- a fragment of a pillowcase stained with his blood and brain matter -- to solve a medical mystery, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Cardiologist John Sotos, a rare-disease buff, hopes to test DNA from the pillowcase to determine whether Lincoln was dying from a rare form of cancer when he was shot. In his book 'The Physical Lincoln,' Sotos concluded that the 16th president had a genetic cancer syndrome called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B). The conclusion was based on an analysis of photos and life masks of Lincoln, as well as accounts of his physical traits.
Skip over this content
The pillowcase is part of the collection at the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library in Philadelphia. Museum officials are now wrestling with a big question: Should it allow the test?
The Inquirer outlines the pros and cons. The pros: It could settle questions about Lincoln's health, and it could put the museum in the spotlight during a time of high interest in him.
The cons: The artifact could be damaged in the testing process, and the Lincoln family had expressed the wish that he be left in peace.
Skip over this content
The museum's board may take up the question at a meeting May 5.
"This is the Shroud of Turin of Civil War history," board member Andy Waskie told the Inquirer. "We are guardians in trusteeship of this extraordinarily important artifact."
Getting DNA from Lincoln's body hasn't been proposed. His coffin was enveloped in steel and concrete after counterfeiters tried to steal his remains in 1876.
Lincoln is in the public eye more than usual this year because of President Barack Obama's admiration of him -- parts of his inauguration drew upon themes from Lincoln's presidency -- and because this year is the bicentennial of his birth. Lincoln is considered one of the nation's best presidents. Click through the galleries below for other most-popular and least-popular U.S. leaders.
Skip over this content
