THE ILLS OF HUMANITY DR. JAMES W. KIDD Dr. James William Kidd was born in Scotland, and there at an early age commenced the study of medicine. Coming to America he finished the medical course of the University of Baltimore. In order to more thoroughly prepare himself for the medical profession he returned to Europe, where he studied the most successful methods of treating various diseases in several of the most famous European hospitals. With this broad knowledge of the science of medicine he returned to America to take up his life work. As told elsewhere, Dr. Kidd later in life became the medical director and chief of staff of The J. W. Kidd Company, located at Fort Wayne, Ind., now known throughout the civilized world. Notwithstanding his many years of successful experience since coming to this country, Dr. Kidd is comparatively a young man, always alert to the best interests of those who seek his council, ever progressive in his chosen professionthe scientific and practical use of medicine in the cure of disease. ORIGIN OF THE J. W. KIDD COMPANY Being thoroughly educated for this most noble profession Dr. Kidd early realized that conditions as they existed prevented hundreds of thousands, yes millions, of sick and afflicted people from securing the proper medical treatment. This state of affairs was due to no one reason. In some cases people lived in remote districts where doctors were not accessible. More frequently the advice of a local doctor could be had but the fact that the experience of almost all doctors was confined to the comparatively few cases of each disease as occurred near their own homes often prevented, and today prevents, the patient from receiving the exact treatment and advice needed. Sometimes the doctors were young and lacked the necessary experience, sometimes they were old and experienced but unwilling or unable to keep abreast of the progress made in the science of medicine. So-called "specialists" traveling from place to place were then, as they are now, often unreliable. Only the very rich could afford to travel to and pay the enormous fees of the competent physicians of the great cities. a Indeed, even the charges made by the local doctors have prevented thousands of families from securing medical service much needed. As a result of this situation thousands suffering with disease became the easy victims of the many false claims made for worthless patent medicines, "cure-alls," "specifics," "compounds," etc.', etc.