The Shattered Nerves of Old Abe

Lincoln seemed to have all sorts of problems - bipolar depression, unipolar depression, thyroid problems, bad gas, gargantuanism - you name it and someone has claimed he had it! But now it looks like, according to a study of worms, his nerves shattered?

Abraham Lincoln may have suffered from a genetic disorder that literally shattered his nerves, a new study on worms suggests.

Many of the president's descendants have a gene mutation that affects the part of the brain controlling movement and coordination, researchers discovered last year. The mutation prevents nerve cells from "communicating" with each other properly, but scientists weren't sure exactly how or why.

I love creative science writing...but this is a little silly ;)

It can turn "however, the worms' wiry cell axons didn't just malfunction--they severed" into the Hollywood version: "however, Abe Lincolns nerve cells didn't just die - they exploded into a million pieces knocking down buildings for blocks around them."

Here's the original story.

edit - Maybe Ask Abe Lincoln himself.