DOC: Then and Now with a Montana Physician

New York: Ballantine Books / Ivy Books, 1996. 1st Ballantine Books Edition. Mass Market Paper. Very Good. LIVELY, EARTHY, AND REFRESHINGLY CANDID . . . Losee is the family doctor you wish you had in your community." -- Library Journal.In 1949, Ron Losee, a young Yale Medical School graduate, headed west with his wife and small daughter to begin the practice of medicine. They settled in Ennis, Montana, in a log cabin that also became their office and lab. Patients made themselves at home in the living room. One small bag held all their medical equipment. It was a proud moment when a patient first called Losee "Doc." His fee on that occasion was three dollars. In robust, freewheeling prose, Doc Losee--now internationally known for his work in orthopedic surgery--shares nearly half a century of dedicated doctoring, evoking the rich flavor of Montana and the dramatic dilemmas that never cease to haunt the country doctor. Exhilarating and entertaining, DOC is a moving reminder of what people--doctors and patients--can be and do. It's the perfect cure for what ails us."[Losee] charges each incident with enough drama to draw the reader in. . . . The humor shines right through. . . . Get this guy to a biochemist and have him cloned. . . . As a physician we could use a few more thousand just like him." -- Kirkus Reviews. "These memoirs of a 74-year-old, Yale Medical School-trained doctor who for 45 years treated the people of Ennis, a remote Montana village, combine compassion with pragmatism, humor and captivating storytelling. "Doc" fondly recalls his beginnings with his wife, a heroically competent nurse, and their two-year-old daughter in a log house furnished with a card table and an army cot. The author won confidence as a physician and neighbor of patients of all ages and occupations-ranchers, miners and fishermen among them. A specialist in orthopedic surgery, he won international recognition for his innovative "trick" knee operations. And yet, as Losee aged, he came to the conclusion that doctoring does not mean curing but rather "understanding and teaching the natural and pathological processes." -- Publishers Weekly. Book is in very good condition with mild edge wear, rubbed edges and corners. Page block, inside covers and pages beginning to tan.