Imagine facing a grim prognosis, given merely a year to live by your own medical colleagues. This was the stark reality for Dr. Washington Kilmer in 1872, then a physician in Ironton, Ohio, suffering from a severe physical breakdown induced by his tireless professional labors. But Dr. Kilmer was no ordinary man. Instead of succumbing, he embarked on an extraordinary 1,500-mile journey to Florida, on foot, hoping its famed climate and natural springs would restore his health.
