Before the Doctor Comes

Doctors do all they can to help sick people. During the Great Depression, if you were sick enough that you could not work, there was a 40% chance that your doctor would visit and treat you at home. Sure, medical professionals preferred to see patients in their office, a clinic, or hospital setting, but the House Call was often the easiest way to treat the stricken,

By 1980, less than 0.6% of treatments came via House Calls. Many see this as a sign that modern doctors lack concern about their patient's welfare. Current medical science and technology have advanced to the point that the physician is simply able to provide much better care in a clinical setting.

Whether expecting to take her kids to the doctor's office or anticipating a house call visit, typical young mothers need at least some basic medical training to care for their children. Growing kids get hurt or sick, that is just part of growing up. Fortunately, the situation is usually less serious than a frightened mother might suppose, but how can she tell?

In 1941, the American Medical Association's Bureau of Health Education put together a series of syndicated quarter-hour radio programs titled Before the Doctor Comes, hosted by Chicago-area Radio personality Harriet Hester. The show's Medical authority was Bureau of Health Education director, Dr. William W. Bauer, and organist Elwyn Owen providing musical interludes.

Dr. Bauer served with the US Army Medical Corps during the Great War, eventually attaining the rank of Major. He had a private practice in Boise, Idaho, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the 1920s before accepting a post at the AMA's Health Education Bureau in the early 1930s. An untiring advocate of healthy eating, balanced diets, and good nutrition, Bauer wrote extensively to debunk fad diets. 

Ms. Hester appeared in other AMA programs including Safe at Home in 1948. In addition to background music on Before the Doctor Comes, Mr. Owen includes a classical piece of several minutes in each quarter-hour episode. Local broadcasters may have used this interlude for voice-over messaging, but the music could also stand alone.

The overriding message in Before the Doctor Comes is for mothers to not panic when injury or illness strikes her precious family. However, it is important to recognize when to seek the advice of a trained physician. Keeping in mind that the program was produced decades before the wide adoption of HMOs and medical co-pay insurance, a surprising number of conditions seem to call for a doctor's consultation.

The series is presented as Ms. Hester conducting a friendly interview with Dr. Bauer, who answers her motherly concerns with straightforward, practical advice. Some of the conditions covered in the series include tummy aches, bloody noses, head and earaches, skin rashes, and the use and misuse of prescribed medicines.

The thought of a medical emergency has to be one of the greatest fears for a young family, but a little knowledge can go a long way toward minimizing those fears.