Leonard Keene Hirshberg

Leonard Keene Hirshberg (January 9, 1877 – October 1, 1969) was an American physician and popular medical writer who was convicted of mail fraud.

Early life and education Hirshberg was born in Baltimore to a Jewish family. He earned his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1902.

Writing career 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. According to Mencken, at least some of Hirshberg's other magazine articles were also written by Mencken with Hirshberg providing the information. 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.

Hirshberg was skeptical of spiritualism. He was highly critical of the claims of the medium Eusapia Palladino.

Fraud and imprisonment Around 1920, Hirshberg moved to New York, where he became active as a stock broker. In September 1922, he was accused of defrauding investors of one million dollars in a mail fraud investment scam. He was convicted and was imprisoned in the federal prison at Atlanta

Personal life and death 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.

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. He died in 1969 in Long Beach, aged 92.

Selected publications "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)