Evening star., 1942-05-26

driving a 16-cylinder, bright red
coupe with his name inscribed on
1t in 13 different places.
Transplanted Goat Glands.
The cornerstone Of his career was
laid on his honey appeals over
powerful radio stations to those who
had lost their physical vigor. He
advocated regeneration by trans
plantation of goat glands into their
bodies and became known popularity
as the Goat Gland Doctor"
He was called an "out and out
charlatan" by Federal Judge Robert
E. Lewis of Denver in 1886 when he
sought to have his Kansas medical
license reinstated.
Another of the three Federal
judges hearing the appeal, George
T. McDermott of Topeka, Kans., con-
tended that some of the operations
DR.. Brinkley charged as much as
s70O for could be done in any doc
tors Office under local anesthetic
for $40 and which in any case does
about as much good as putting a
piece of dough under the skin"
DR.. Brlnkley was man OF great
impulses as well as action. Once
he sued a newspaper for $1,000 900,
charging it had libeled him in a
series of articles describing his prac-
tice. Later, on his own motion, the
case was dismissed.
Native of North Carolina.
His life began at Beta, N. c., July
8, 1885. His middle name was Romu-
lus. but he had it changed by court
decree to Richard. He attended a
medical school at Chicago for three
years. After going to an eclectic
university at Kansas City he was
licensed to practice in several States,
including Kansas.
,He served for a brief period as a
medical officer in the First World
War. He was divorced from his first
wife. They had three daughters.
In 1918 he married Miss Minnie T.
Jones. They had one child, Johnny
Boy, born in 1927.
First brought into public eye by
radio advertisements in 1929 and
1880 of his Milford (Kans) Hospital,
he plunged into the 1880 Kansas
gubernatorial race as a "write-in"
candidate. The State Medical Board
Just had revoked his license.
Rolling up sursprising support in
that campaign, he was back two
years later as an independent. He
failed and tried again, only to lose.
$4,000 Letters a Day.
Then he left Kansas abruptly for
Del Rio, where he established him
self in a hospital. Once more he
took to the air to advertise his prac-
tice over a powerful Mexico radio
station.
In those days DR.. Brinkley's mail
poured in at the rate of $4,000 let
tiers day. Fifty secretaries waited
on him.
His fortune grew. He owned
three yachts, IL expensive automo-
biles and a radio station so strong
it often blurred out smaller ones as
far away as the Canadian border
He had q Texas mansion of marble
and tile, with a pool and fountain,
whose base bore in fluorescent
lights, "Dr. Brinkley."
After his three unsuccessful po-
litical ventures, he adhered strictly
to practice. For a while all went
well. Then his radio station was
confiscated by the Mexican govern
ment. Judgments seeking $230,00O
from him by former patients even
tually took him to Federal court to
declare voluntary bankruptcy.
Seems to me like we have just
about run out of automobiles" he
testified at a creditors hearing in
Del Rio.
He said he had sold two OF his
yachts, one to the Navy for $119,-
900 and another to the President OF
Venezuela for $125, 900.
Illness struck him in 1941 and he
entered q conservative hospital
where he was q patient for a long
time.