quack

Dr. J.R. Brinkley (LOC)

from The Library of Congress

• swanq said:

  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Brinkley "John Romulus Brinkley (later John Richard Brinkley; July 8, 1885 – May 26, 1942) was an American who fraudulently claimed to be a medical doctor (he had no legitimate medical education and bought his medical degree from a "diploma mill") who became known as the "goat-gland doctor" after he achieved national fame, international notoriety and great wealth through the xenotransplantation of goat testicles into humans. Although initially Brinkley promoted this procedure as a means of curing male impotence, eventually he claimed that the technique was a virtual panacea for a wide range of male ailments. He operated clinics and hospitals in several states, and despite the fact that almost from the beginning, detractors and critics in the medical community thoroughly discredited his methods, he was able to continue his activities for almost two decades." See photo in Arizona Republican., February 20, 1920, Annual Cotton Edition, Section 2, Page 4, Image 14, column 4 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020558/1920-02-20/ed-...

• Art Siegel said:

  2 other photos from the likely same photo session by Kansas photographer Joseph J. Pennell. luna.ku.edu/luna/servlet/detail/kuluna01kui~15~15~2493305... Pennell seems to have documented Dr. Brinkley's operation: luna.ku.edu/luna/servlet/view/search;JSESSIONID=1ecffb00-...

• Barbara (LOC P&P) said:

  Wow - that's quite a story! Thanks for giving the background and the links to associated photos. We'll add to the description at our end.