I was 27 years old, but with two years of internship and residency under my belt, I already had a good deal of training in all the disciplines – such as surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and subspecialties. I also had a year-plus of internal medicine residency training at State University of New York at Syracuse. I had been the admitting officer of the day and medical officer of the day at the Syracuse Veterans Administration for approximately six months. However, at no time had I ever performed a real house call all by myself.
I graduated from the State University of New York College of Medicine at Syracuse in 1957. Back in the 1950s, it was a time-honored method that, after graduation, residency training programs started on July 1 of whatever year you graduated and ended on June 30 of the following year.
And so, I arrived in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, with my wife and brand-new daughter, Susan, shortly after the first of July 1959.
Dr. Florian Florek was the main physician in Edinboro when I arrived in town. He decided that it would be an excellent time for him to take a vacation of two weeks. He called me up and advised me that he was leaving town and that his practice was “my practice” for those two weeks. The really good news was that he provided his nurse, Mary Sue Snider, to answer his phone and to direct patients to my office or wherever they needed to go. Since she knew the townspeople so well, this really made my job a lot easier.
So, it was one day in early August 1959 that the nurse called me and asked me to make a call on the mother of Mrs. Georgia Kirschner. I jumped into my car and drove approximately ¼ mile to my first house call. The patient’s home was located in the first house just east of the only traffic light in town. That traffic light is still there.
I arrived with my brand-new big black bag filled with whatever tools of the doctor’s trade I felt were necessary at that time. The patient was resting somewhat uncomfortably in the front parlor of their home, which was standard practice in those days. Upon her lap and chest was a beautiful black cat. In obtaining a history from both the daughter and mother (who was 80 years old), I was able to determine that the mother had had a cold and a fairly severe cough for several days. Asking the daughter to remove the cat, I then proceeded to get more history and examine this very pleasant lady. Following a careful exam, I diagnosed pneumonia. I duly treated this with a shot of penicillin and penicillin tablets from the bag, where I also had some cough syrup. Remember, those were the days when the general practitioner in a small outlying community had to carry everything with him or her. In addition, it was a Sunday night and the only pharmacy in town was closed. Following a discussion with both the patient and her daughter as to how to care for a fever and other symptoms, I was ready to take my leave.
Just as I was leaving, the daughter said to me that the cat had also not been feeling well. I casually said that perhaps she should contact the local veterinarian, Dr. Ray Birchard. She pointed out that it was a Sunday night, and she did not think she could reach him. She asked if I would mind taking a look at the cat. I, of course, said, “I’m not really familiar with diseases of cats, but sure!” The cat was sniffing and occasionally coughing and so, as I listened to the furry beast with my stethoscope, I picked up the sounds of pneumonia in the cat. Not knowing what to do, I figured the cat’s weight to be approximately 3½ to 4 pounds. I decided that a small dose of penicillin injected into the cat’s posterior thigh would probably do the job. I gave the cat the injection and also some penicillin liquid, which luckily, I also had in my bag.
With great trepidation, I advised the family that I wasn’t sure that this was the appropriate treatment dose, but that I felt it was the right thing to do. I suggested that they contact the veterinarian in the morning and that I would call back to see how everyone was doing. I went home, and after a few hours I found I was able to reach the vet, after all, who said, “Well, what you did would probably not kill the cat, but next time, what if you just give us a call and see what our advice might be.”
I called the Kirschner house the next morning and talked with Georgia. I found out that the mother and cat were both doing very well. I had had my first truly appreciative patients. I encouraged them to follow up with Dr. Florek, as stealing a patient—even a grateful patient—was and is a NO-NO!
Contributor’s Note: Dr. Tom Miller grew up in the northern tier of New York State. In 1952, his parents, both academicians, moved the family to Edinboro. Dr. Miller earned his medical degree from the State University of New York at Syracuse in 1957. He had met his future wife, Ruth, a nurse, on his pediatrics rotation in Syracuse. They married in 1957 in the chapel at Saint Vincent Hospital. In 1959, Dr. Miller went into solo practice in Edinboro, and was joined in practice in 1961 by Dr. John Morris, establishing the Edinboro Medical Center in that year. He served on the medical staffs of Saint Vincent, Hamot, and Union City Hospital. He retired in 1996. Dr. Miller estimated that during his career, house calls occupied about 20% of his busy practice.
Beyond his celebrated medical career, there are many other dimensions to Dr. Miller’s life. In the early 1960s, Tom began a lifelong devotion to flying, purchasing a Cessna Cardinal in 1977 and progressing to Medical Examiner for the FAA and accident investigator of small aircraft crashes (the NTSB was not yet involved in such investigations). He served as a docent for the Niagara League and the Maritime Museum. He conducted AARP safe-driving courses. He continues his lifelong devotion and service to the Church of the Covenant.
Dr. Tom Miller’s vivid recollection of his first house call represents a humble and touching beginning to the remarkable life yet to come. — John C. Reilly, M.D.
Editor’s note: At the History Center, we are grateful to John Reilly, M.D., who has been capturing and sharing the memories and accomplishments of Erie County’s physicians for us since 2024.