Country Doctor

[Abby Brown] This small town Iowa museum holds artifacts and clues from the good old days of printing newspapers. But there's another history lesson here, too. And it's about the life of a country doctor.

(Map marking Ringgold County in southern Iowa.)

This building in the town of Diagonal was constructed in 1909.

(A red and white building with “Diagonal Printing Museum established 1983” written over the top of the entry doors.)

For about 13 years before it housed the local newspaper it was a drugstore and a doctor's office.

The doctor lived upstairs with his family. What's really cool is that now, over 100 years later, visitors can go upstairs at the Diagonal Print Museum and learn about the life of a country doctor.

A well-known doctor in this area was Doctor Watson. He served this community for over 40 years, from 1918 to 1959.

In the early days, he would travel by horse and buggy to visit patients in their homes. He'd take his medical bag with him. Inside, there were tools to help him diagnose and treat patients like a stethoscope and a thermometer.

He also traveled with medicine. At this museum, they have Doctor Watson's recipe for green medicine.

(A sign reads “Dr. Watson was well known for his green medicine that was used for wounds. Just a few days and the injury was healed. This magic formula consisted of 1 ounce Carbolic Acid, 2 ounces Boric Acid, 1 pint Rubbing Alcohol, 1 gallon Distilled Water. It had to be green which was probably just a few drops of green food coloring.”)

He would make it himself.

Country doctors had to do all kinds of procedures and treat all sorts of illnesses.

Doctor Watson estimated that he delivered almost 2,000 babies in his career. His baby scale is here in the museum.

(A scooped metal tray is attached to and on top of a scale.)

A country doctor cared for mom and baby and all community members of all ages.

This is Doctor Watson's daybook.

(Abby holds a thin, hardcover ledger or notebook.)

He kept a list of the date and his patients names and how much he charged them. Anywhere from $0.50 to $4.00. But for some who couldn't pay it all, he accepted produce, like a bushel of apples.

As time goes by, the world of medicine changes, including how and where doctors do their jobs and even how they get paid.

Unlike most doctors in Iowa today, country doctors weren't always sure where their office would be on any given day. They might be in someone's home delivering a baby, or in a barn tending to a farmer's injury, or in a school giving vaccinations to kids.

But like modern doctors, country doctors back in Doctor Watson's time went to great lengths to care for their patients and keep their communities healthy.

Every county in Iowa holds a cure for the curious. I hope you enjoyed this healthy dose of history in Ringgold County.

Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by The Coons Foundation, Pella and the Gilchrist Foundation.