Mary lincoln mental illness

Mary Todd Lincoln had a lot of tragedy in her life.

Mary todd lincoln children

She lost two young children -- and, of course, was sitting next to President Lincoln when he was assassinated. All of that contributed to years of depression, but now a medical expert believes there was a physical cause for her mental struggles. History has not been kind to the wife of our 16th president. She was known to be a tempestuous, unpredictable force, and her son eventually had her committed.

Sally Field's portrayal of Mary Todd showed a fierce and sharp-tongued first lady. But Dr. John Sotos, a physician and medical historian, says the famously fiery first lady was not only misunderstood - but misdiagnosed. Sotos puts forth a new theory about Mary Todd Lincoln -- her erratic behavior was caused by a condition called pernicious anemia.

It was a fatal illness until treatment was discovered decades after her death. The disease can lead to many of the symptoms exhibited by Mary Todd Lincoln: a sore mouth, pale skin, difficulty walking and psychiatric problems. It can also cause swelling. Today, the disease can be picked up on a simple blood test and easily treated with B12 supplements.

Jon LaPook, M. Since joining CBS News in , LaPook has delivered more than 1, reports on a wide variety of breaking news and trending stories in the health and medical fields, as well as feature stories on music, lifestyle and profiles of entertainment stars. Mary Todd Lincoln's health.