This document is a letter from Minnie Brinkley, John Brinkley II’s wife, to “Aunt” Amanda Jackson. John Brinkley II was a notorious quack doctor who practiced medicine throughout the 1920s and 1930s, most well-known known for implanting goat testicles in men to cure impotence. He often performed these surgeries while intoxicated and in unsanitary conditions. He also built a radio station in Mexico that boasted the most powerful transmitter at the time. One of the most concerning parts of his radio shows was the “Medical Question Box,” segment where he gave medical advice to listeners and recommended “cures” that were only available from pharmacies affiliated with John Brinkley II (Lee, Alton). John Brinkley II’s downfall began in 1938 after suing Morris Fishbein, a journalist who regularly called him a “quack” and “charlatan,” for libel. John Brinkley II lost this lawsuit, meaning that he could legally be called a quack doctor. He faced numerous malpractice lawsuits soon after, which claimed over three million dollars in damages. He declared bankruptcy in 1941 and died in 1942 of heart failure (Lee, Alton). Minnie Brinkley was involved in John Brinkley’s business, often traveling with him and even working as an anesthesiologist at times. She was also indited along with her husband for mail fraud, though the case was dismissed due to John Brinkley’s death (Lee, Alton). She remained a staunch supporter of her husband until her death in 1980 (“Minerva Telitha “Minnie” Jones Brinkley). Amanda Jackson was a neighbor to young John Brinkley and often watched him growing up. She became a close family friend who both Minnie and John Brinkley wrote often. She lived in East LaPort, NC, close to modern day Sylva, NC, until her death in 1945 (Lee, Alton). In April 1937, the Brinkleys were arguably reaching the height of their wealth. The Brinkley family moved to Del Rio Texas in 1933, shortly after John Brinkley’s Mexican radio station, XER, began broadcasting. They built a mansion in Del Rio, though the family often traveled with John Brinkley for his work. They were set to embark on a four month long European tour shortly after writing this letter (Lee, Alton). This would be just one year before his disastrous lawsuit loss to Morris Fishbein. Minnie mentions “the home place” throughout this letter. This could be a reference to the farm that the Brinkley family purchased in 1936 from John Brinkley’s former mother-in-law. This became their summer home and is referred to as “the old home area” in his biographies (Lee, Alton). For more information on “the home place,” please reference the in-text annotations.