 Lincoln often combated his melancholic moods by delving into works of humor, likely a healthy coping mechanism for his depression.The recollections of Lincoln's legal colleagues (John T. Stuart, Henry Clay Whitney, Ward Hill Lamon, and William Herndon) all agree that Lincoln took blue mass pills, which were commonly prescribed for hypochondriasis and melancholia.It has been used since the 16th century to treat syphilis and by the mid-19th century was prescribed for a wide variety of ills.