House Calls And Hitching Posts [Paperback]

Elton Lehman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1969

Medical technology meets rural values of simplicity, home health remedies, and unwavering faith in divine providence when a country-boy-turned-country-doctor returns to his roots. House Calls and Hitching Posts is a sometimes humorous and often intimate account of Dr. Elton Lehman's 36 years practicing medicine among the Amish of Ohio, for which he was named Country Doctor of the Year.
This is the story of a beloved doctor working among a respected people and the insights they exchanged, told by someone who knows both firsthand.
Hoover's anecdotal style takes readers on house calls and into the private moments between doctors and patients. Joe brings his dismembered fingers to the office in a coffee can filled with kerosene. Katie delivers a boy for the doctor's first home-birth. And three-year-old Davy rallies to overcome a life-threatening illness at birth, only to be crushed under a tractor wheel.
Hoover captures in sometimes local vernacular the joys and dilemmas of a family practitioner among a rural and predominantly-Amish community. Includes many photographs from Dr. Lehman's distinguished career.
A country-boy-turned-country-doctor goes on house calls among the Amish of eastern Ohio in this warm collection of true-life tales.
Alert to his patients' preferences to have their babies born close to home, and their illnesses and injuries treated in a home-like atmosphere, Dr. Elton Lehman also created a treatment and birthing center in the hills of Wayne County, Ohio.
From these years of medical technology meeting rural values come these unforgettable stories:
Joe brings his dismembered fingers to the office in a coffee can filled with kerosene;
Dozens of babies are born with Dr. Lehman's help; Katie's little boy is his first at-home birth;
Three-year-old Davy rallies to overcome a life-threatening illness at birth, only to be crushed under a tractor wheel;
Barb, the Amish leader's wife, joins Doc Lehman in an unusual partnership, setting aside a bedroom in her own home as an alternative "delivery" room.
Writer Hoover captures in sometimes local vernacular the joys and dilemmas of a family practitioner among a rural and predominantly-Amish community.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A country-boy-turned-country-doctor goes on house calls among the Amish of eastern Ohio in this warm collection of true-life tales.

Alert to his patients' preferences to have their babies born close to home, and their illnesses and injuries treated in a home-like atmosphere, Dr. Elton Lehman also created a treatment and birthing center in the hills of Wayne County, Ohio.

From these years of medical technology meeting rural values come these unforgettable stories:
- Joe brings his dismembered fingers to the office in a coffee can filled with kerosene;
- Dozens of babies are born with Dr. Lehman's help; Katie's little boy is his first at-home birth;
- Three-year-old Davy rallies to overcome a life-threatening illness at birth, only to be crushed under a tractor wheel;
- Barb, the Amish leader's wife, joins Doc Lehman in an unusual partnership, setting aside a bedroom in her own home as an alternative "delivery" room.

Writer Hoover captures in sometimes local vernacular the joys and dilemmas of a family practitioner among a rural and predominantly-Amish community.

About the Author

Dorcas Sharp Hoover, a former schoolteacher, lives with her family in Dover, Ohio, a short drive from what is known as "Amish Country." Dorcas is married to Jerry, pastor and businessman. They have six children, ages five to 19.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Good Books (December 31, 1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561485020
• ISBN-13: 978-1561485024
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Story of Compassion and Service, June 9, 2005

By 

Karen Briggs (NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House Calls and Hitching Posts (Hardcover)

I purchased this book while visiting Holmes County, Ohio, hoping to learn more from it about these hard-working, gentle, and deeply spiritual people known as the Amish. I was not disappointed! I learned a lot from this book about their lives and their beliefs and came away with a deep respect for their lifestyle and simple ways. Dr. Elton Lehman is truly an example of how to live a life devoted to serving God and others. Having grown up in Amish country, he followed God's call on his life to return there as their "country doctor". This book tells how he earned their trust and respect by going out of his way to honor their beliefs, and by always being there for them when needed. This book is well-written and a good inspirational, educational read!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an Excellent Book, August 11, 2004

By 

B. F Jones (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House Calls and Hitching Posts (Hardcover)

This book is such a wonderful read that I can not say enough good things about it. It is very entertaining, I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Read about Dr. Lehman's fascinating career among the Amish and Mennonite population of Mt. Eaton Ohio; you won't be disapointed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vicki, August 19, 2005

By 

V. Temple (Fresno, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: House Calls and Hitching Posts (Hardcover)

House Calls and Hitching Posts is a delightful book. Through the amazing stories of Dr. Lehman's practice among the Amish and Mennonites of Wayne County and surrounding area, you get an inside look at the close knit community that "Englishers" rarely see. Dr. Lehman finds that his medical school training has not prepared him for the practice he begins among the Amish as a country doctor. He must become flexible and learn the plain ways of people he will come to love. If you have an interest in the Amish, I highly recommend this book. It will make you laugh and cry. You won't want to put it down.