Forbes, Health Highlights, May 19, 2007 Modern medical care may have been able to save Abraham Lincoln's life after he was shot in the head, according to a University of Maryland doctor and historian, the Associated Press reported. In related news, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston say that Lincoln had a potentially fatal case of smallpox when he delivered his Gettysburg Address in November, 1863, the Houston Chronicle reported. The researchers analyzed descriptions of Lincoln's illness in November and December 1863. He first complained of illness on his way to Gettysburg and was confined to bed for days after he delivered the famous speech. "By December 7, he could walk around briefly but he was emaciated and sallow-faced," noted lead author Dr. Armond S. Goldman, an emeritus professor in UTMB's pediatrics department. "It wasn't until December 15 that he felt well enough to conduct official business for several hours a day." He and his co-author say Lincoln had a 30 percent chance of dying from the disease. The report appears in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Biography. (This story continues to run widely in U.S. and international publications.)