The Life and Work of John Drulle, M.D.
John Drulle, M.D.
1944-2003
If one could imagine a physician stepping out of a Norman Rockwell
painting to spend all the quality time needed with you, with his attention
focused totally on your symptoms, questions and fears, that physician would likely be the late John
Drulle, M.D. Decades ago, when scholarly physicians were
diligently discovering the Lyme bacteria and naming the disease, he was among the
first handful of doctors on the frontlines of actually treating
the condition. In the early days of Lyme disease, testing procedures and results
were unreliable at best. That's why John used the
most sophisticated of devices available to diagnose and treat
the condition - his ears. He would take all the time needed to
hear a patient out, as there was a close relationship between
close listening and appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Because protocols were uncertain, he would never
give a patient a medicine unless he tried it on himself first, because
he himself was infected with Lyme as well as other tick-borne diseases. To
say his practice was patient-centered is an understatement
- he would go so far as to pick up
prescriptions and deliver them to a patient's house when they were too
sick to do so themselves. Even when he himself was battling
chronic fatigue and pain, he kept a positive outlook and sense of humor.
John Drulle was truly a blessing to all who knew him until he succumbed
to Lyme disease and an untimely death in 2003.
His Accomplishments
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John Drulle, M.D., was a
pioneer in the fight against Lyme disease and other tick
borne illnesses. He helped to initiate the New Jersey Governor’s
Council on Lyme Disease. John worked toward educating the public
about the need for prevention, treatment and research on
tick-borne infections. He also worked toward educating the
public about the special concerns regarding the effects of
Lyme disease on pregnant women and the unborn.
In 1967 he graduated from the New Jersey Institute of
Technology with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
John decided to pursue medicine and enrolled in
Universidad del Noreste in Tampico,
Tamaulipas, Mexico. He
graduated as a Doctor of Medicine and then attended the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ in the Fifth Pathway Program. In 1981 John began
his internship and residency at
Jersey Shore Medical Center in
Neptune, NJ. Upon completion of his
residency in 1984, he worked in the field of Urgent Care.
In 1988 John opened a private practice in Jackson, NJ, with
his wife, Emilia C. Eiras, M.D. She became President of The John Drulle, M.D. Memorial Lyme
Fund in 2005. In December of 2003, a flag was flown over
the Capital building in Washington, DC to honor Dr. John Drulle and
his contributions to Lyme education and research.
Articles and
Presentations:
Pregnancy and Lyme Disease
LDANJ Patient
Information Guide. June 1998
Persisting Lyme
disease: Chronic infection or immune phenomena?
Canadian Lyme Disease
Foundation. Lecture 1992.
Antibiotics and
Steroids
Lyme Disease 1991: Patient/Physician Perspectives from the
U.S. and Canada.
Lyme Disease:
The Pitfalls of Laboratory Testing
Lyme Disease
1991: Patient/Physician Perspective from the U.S. and
Canada.
“Borrellia
Burgdorferi Specific Antibodies in Circulating Immune
Complexes in Seronegative Lyme Disease.”
Lancet. February 1990
Lyme Disease Drug
Therapy “Lyme
Disease: Late Season Update.” August 1989.
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