Le Journal de la Photographie

Dr. Ernest Ceriani makes a house call on foot © Eugene Smith

Eugene Smith Dr. Ernest Ceriani makes a house call on foot © Eugene Smith Eugene Smith Dr. Ceriani sits at bedside of a patient as he assesses flu symptoms during a house call. When Smith began "Country Doctor," he shot for a period of time with no film in his camera, to help Ceriani get used to his presence without wasting precious film © Eugene Smith Eugene Smith In the backseat of a car, Dr. Ceriani administers a shot of morphine to a 60-year-old tourist from Chicago, seen here with her grandson, who was suffering from a mild heart disturbance © Eugene Smith Eugene Smith Dr. Ceriani has stitched the girl's wound to minimize scarring, but he must now find a way to tell the parents that her eye cannot be saved and they must take her a specialist in Denver to have it removed © Eugene Smith Eugene Smith Though he had no vacations and few days off, Dr. Ceriani did have use of a small hospital, which was equipped with an X-ray machine, an autoclave and an oxygen tent, among other medical necessities. Here, he explains an X-ray -- which he developed himself -- to one of his rancher patients © Eugen... Eugene Smith After finishing a surgery that lasted until 2 AM, Dr. Ceriani stands exhausted in the hospital kitchen with a cup of coffee and a cigarette. "The nurses," LIFE noted, "constantly admonish him to relax and rest, but because they are well aware that he cannot, they keep a potful of fresh coffee sim... Eugene Smith A child's worried parents look on as Dr. Ceriani, surrounded by nurses, examines their 2-year-old daughter © Eugene Smith Eugene Smith 85-year-old Thomas Mitchell came to the hospital with a gangrenous leg. Knowing that Mitchell might not be strong enough to endure the necessary amputation, Ceriani had been postponing surgery. When Mitchell finally rallied, the doctor gently carried him from the basement ward up to the operating...