DISEASES/ILLNESSES -- Many descendants of Melungeons are susceptible to diseases with Mediterrean and other exotic (to us Americans, anyway) origins, for example, Bechet's Syndrome, Joseph's Disease, Mediterrean Familial Fever, Sarcoidosis, Thallasemia, etc. so the presence of a genetically inherited disease in your family which normally affects persons of genetic backgrounds that don't agree with your believed background can provide clues to your true genetic makeup.