Question: What infamous quack doctor set up shop in Del Rio when his Kansas practice was shut down?
Answer: John R. Brinkley. Born in North Carolina in 1885, Brinkley attended an unaccredited medical school in Chicago and purchased a certificate from a diploma mill after he was unable to pay his tuition. In 1918, he opened a practice in Milford, Kansas, and he soon gained notoriety and wealth as the “goat-gland doctor” by implanting snippets of goat testicles into men, claiming the procedure could restore virility. Brinkley established a radio station to market his treatments, but he moved to Del Rio when the state revoked his medical license and the federal government refused to renew his broadcasting license. There, he resumed his practice and set up a powerful “border blaster” radio station in Mexico.
In Del Rio, Brinkley built a mansion on a 16-acre estate that featured a greenhouse, a fountain garden surrounded by 8,000 bushes, and a pool with a 10-foot diving tower. He owned a dozen Cadillacs and imported exotic animals from the Galapagos Islands. Brinkley would frequently host parties for local residents, blasting music from the home’s pipe organ connected to outdoor loudspeakers.
