House Calls: The True Story of a Pioneer Doctor Book

Told from the viewpoint of young Kathleen, a recovering consumption victim, this detailed look at life in the early 1800s follows Dr. John Hutchison as he deals with emergencies and makes his rounds. Kathleen witnesses patients being bled, visits a family plagued by malaria, attends the birth of a baby — and begins to dream of becoming a doctor herself. Through Kathleen's eyes, readers learn how important doctors were in those days, delivering mail and goods and serving as midwives, diplomats, and friends, in addition to performing their medical duties. When Dr. Hutchison announces that he will have to leave the community because the town has no house large enough to accommodate his growing family, the townspeople take dramatic measures to retain him. Based on the life of author Ainslie Manson's great-grandfather, House Calls includes fascinating sidebars on such topics as common ailments, medicinal plants, and the contents of a doctor's bag in the early 19th century.