The diaries of Dr. Samuel Patton Hand 1911-1917. Part I

Dr. Samuel Patton Hand practiced medicine in Demopolis, Alabama, for many years before his death in 1917. During the last seven years of his life he kept detailed diaries. These diaries have been passed down through the family since his death. These papers review the diaries, which present an intimate look at the life of an Alabama small-town doctor during this period. This first paper deals with the doctor's daily personal and social life, and looks at the transportation in Dr. Hand's day and its effect on his medical practice. The next paper will examine purely medical matters. A third paper will look at excerpts from a notebook or "Pearl book" the doctor kept.