He had a successful career as a health writer, with his articles appearing in mainstream medical columns and journals. With H. L. Mencken as writer, he collaborated on a series of baby care articles for the magazine The Delineator that were published as What You Ought to Know About Your Baby (1910). The first edition of the book listed only Hirshberg as author.[4][5][6] According to Mencken, at least some of Hirshberg's other magazine articles were also written by Mencken with Hirshberg providing the information.[7] In 1913, he resigned from the Baltimore County Medical Society while under investigation for magazine articles that stated incorrectly that cures had been discovered for cancer and leprosy.[8]
Around 1920, Hirshberg moved to New York, where he became active as a stock broker.[10] In September 1922, he was accused of defrauding investors of one million dollars in a mail fraud investment scam.[11][12][13][14] He was convicted and was imprisoned in the federal prison at Atlanta[6] from May 1923 to June 1925.[10][13]
Later lifeedit
While in prison, Hirshberg continued to write untruthful articles. In December 1923, the New York World reported that he claimed to have developed a means to eradicate boll weevils, and was researching abnormal psychology by observing his fellow prisoners. He lost his medical license in 1926 and after that promoted quack remedies. Since the early 1920s, he had had a home in Long Beach, New York, where he moved permanently in about 1945. He wrote a weekly column, The Laughable World, first in local newspapers and from 1955 privately published,[10] and in his eighties received a weekly stipend from the Long Beach chamber of commerce as a writer.[15]
Personal life and deathedit
Hirshberg and his wife had two children. When he moved to New York, he took with him a 15-year-old girl, as reported by the Baltimore American when his wife sued him for abandonment in 1923. They were divorced, and he apparently married his girlfriend in 1926.[10]Fulton Oursler wrote in his autobiography that in Baltimore, Hirshberg researched his articles in the library with beautiful young "stenographers", and that because of his wife's complaints, an indictment in Maryland had to be quashed through the intervention of William Randolph Hearst after a request from Marion Davies before Hirshberg could be released on Oursler's recognizance.[16]
Hirshberg was vegetarian; in Long Beach he was known for consuming the parsley from all the dishes at dinners. He also swam daily in the ocean.[15] He died in 1969 in Long Beach, aged 92.[6][15]
^Mencken, Henry Louis; Markel, Howard; Oski, Frank A. (1990). The H.L. Mencken Baby Book: Comprising the Contents of H.L. Mencken's What You Ought to Know About Your Baby. Hanley & Belfus. pp. 18–20.
^"Hold Doctor-Author In $1,000,000 Fraud; Leonard K. Hirshberg, Member of Firm Which Used Mails to Form 'Blind Pool'". The New York Times. September 9, 1922. p. 1.
^ ab"Dr. Hirshberg Paroled From Atlanta Prison". The Gazette Times. July 21, 1925. p. 1. (New York Times News Service).
^Smith, Matthew. (2015). Another Person's Poison: A History of Food Allergy. Columbia University Press. p. 213. ISBN978-0-231-16484-9
Media related to Leonard Keene Hirshberg at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
leonard, keene, hirshberg, january, 1877, october, 1969, american, physician, popular, medical, writer, convicted, mail, fraud, born, 1877, january, 1877baltimorediedoctober, 1969, 1969, aged, long, beach, yorknationalityamericanalma, materjohns, hopkins, scho. Leonard Keene Hirshberg January 9 1877 October 1 1969 was an American physician and popular medical writer who was convicted of mail fraud Leonard Keene HirshbergBorn 1877 01 09 January 9 1877BaltimoreDiedOctober 1 1969 1969 10 01 aged 92 Long Beach New YorkNationalityAmericanAlma materJohns Hopkins School of MedicineOccupation s Physician writerCriminal chargeMail fraud Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Writing career 3 Fraud and imprisonment 4 Later life 5 Personal life and death 6 Selected publications 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and education editHirshberg was born in Baltimore to a Jewish family He earned his M D from Johns Hopkins University in 1902 1 2 3 Writing career editHe had a successful career as a health writer with his articles appearing in mainstream medical columns and journals With H L Mencken as writer he collaborated on a series of baby care articles for the magazine The Delineator that were published as What You Ought to Know About Your Baby 1910 The first edition of the book listed only Hirshberg as author 4 5 6 According to Mencken at least some of Hirshberg s other magazine articles were also written by Mencken with Hirshberg providing the information 7 In 1913 he resigned from the Baltimore County Medical Society while under investigation for magazine articles that stated incorrectly that cures had been discovered for cancer and leprosy 8 Hirshberg was skeptical of spiritualism He was highly critical of the claims of the medium Eusapia Palladino 9 Fraud and imprisonment editAround 1920 Hirshberg moved to New York where he became active as a stock broker 10 In September 1922 he was accused of defrauding investors of one million dollars in a mail fraud investment scam 11 12 13 14 He was convicted and was imprisoned in the federal prison at Atlanta 6 from May 1923 to June 1925 10 13 Later life editWhile in prison Hirshberg continued to write untruthful articles In December 1923 the New York World reported that he claimed to have developed a means to eradicate boll weevils and was researching abnormal psychology by observing his fellow prisoners He lost his medical license in 1926 and after that promoted quack remedies Since the early 1920s he had had a home in Long Beach New York where he moved permanently in about 1945 He wrote a weekly column The Laughable World first in local newspapers and from 1955 privately published 10 and in his eighties received a weekly stipend from the Long Beach chamber of commerce as a writer 15 Personal life and death editHirshberg and his wife had two children When he moved to New York he took with him a 15 year old girl as reported by the Baltimore American when his wife sued him for abandonment in 1923 They were divorced and he apparently married his girlfriend in 1926 10 Fulton Oursler wrote in his autobiography that in Baltimore Hirshberg researched his articles in the library with beautiful young stenographers and that because of his wife s complaints an indictment in Maryland had to be quashed through the intervention of William Randolph Hearst after a request from Marion Davies before Hirshberg could be released on Oursler s recognizance 16 Hirshberg was vegetarian in Long Beach he was known for consuming the parsley from all the dishes at dinners He also swam daily in the ocean 15 He died in 1969 in Long Beach aged 92 6 15 Selected publications edit Popular Medical Fallacies 1906 American Magazine 62 655 660 What You Ought to Know About Your Baby 1910 with H L Mencken The Truth About Tobacco 1913 Harpers Weekly The Case Against Madame Eusapia Palladino 1910 The Medical Critic and Guide Low Calorie Diet Cook Book 1954 The Family Diet Guide 1959 References edit Schwartz Julia Kaye Solomon Aaron Simons John 1926 Who s Who in American Jewry Volume 1 Jewish Biographical Bureau p 271 Glassman Leo M Jacobs Maurice 1935 Biographical Encyclopaedia of American Jews p 229 Poitras Jean Maurice Spring 1986 Leonard Keene Hirshberg and Henry Louis Mencken Menckeniana 97 p 5 Zuckerman Mary Ellen 1998 A History of Popular Women s Magazines in the United States 1792 1995 Greenwood Press p 47 Lingeman Richard R 2006 Double Lives American Writers Friendships Random House p 136 a b c Williams Robert H December 26 1989 Pure Mencken On Child Care The Washington Post Poitras p 2 Poitras pp 5 6 Mencken Henry Louis Markel Howard Oski Frank A 1990 The H L Mencken Baby Book Comprising the Contents of H L Mencken s What You Ought to Know About Your Baby Hanley amp Belfus pp 18 20 a b c d Poitras p 6 Mencken et al p 20 Hold Doctor Author In 1 000 000 Fraud Leonard K Hirshberg Member of Firm Which Used Mails to Form Blind Pool The New York Times September 9 1922 p 1 a b Dr Hirshberg Paroled From Atlanta Prison The Gazette Times July 21 1925 p 1 New York Times News Service Smith Matthew 2015 Another Person s Poison A History of Food Allergy Columbia University Press p 213 ISBN 978 0 231 16484 9 a b c Poitras pp 6 7 Poitras pp 3 4 External links edit nbsp Media related to Leonard Keene Hirshberg at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leonard Keene Hirshberg amp oldid 1215598822, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
