A fine old country doctor
=========================

* William J. Copeman

I read Edward Ralph's editorial on Powassan encephalitis with interest.1 Powassan is a small community 35 km south of North Bay, Ont. A family doctor, R.H. Dillane, practised there for more than 50 years, and he diagnosed the disease that became known as the Powassan virus.

He referred the patient to Toronto and told the specialists at the Hospital for Sick Children how the child had contracted the disease. The specialists and researchers agreed with his diagnosis and then named the disease the Powassan virus.

RH, as he was known, never sent bills. He practised 7 days a week. He made house calls. In winter, he would travel with team and cutter. He never made much money. One year, when many doctors were away at the war, he delivered 233 babies in a house in town with the help of a nurse. He was highly regarded as an excellent diagnostician. It was said that, with little more than a history and physical examination, "he could just smell the problem."

A local newspaper once published a photo of a doctor who was retiring from practice and commented that he had delivered 1000 babies. RH had a good chuckle over that one. "Heck," he said, "I had a 1000 deliveries for which I never got paid."

How nice it would have been if this disease had been called the Dillane virus in honour of the fine old country doctor who discovered it.

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## Reference

1.  1. Ralph ED. Powassan encephalitis. CMAJ 1999;161(11):1416-7.
    
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