Great Moment, The (1944)

[bunniefuu]

Here he comes now!

This one?

Yes.

That's solid silver.

I know all about it.

What do you want for it?

I'll take its weight

and a dollar more.

Weigh it up.

$14.60 plus a dollar is $15.60.

That includes the case?

I'll have to charge you

two bits more for that.

One bit is plenty.

All right,

I won't bargain with you.

Now give me the address

of the man who hocked it.

Is he a friend of yours?

Yes, only he's dead now.

It's so good to see

you, Eben. So good.

Now that it's all over.

I'm sorry I couldn't be there.

By the time I heard

about it, it was too late.

It doesn't matter. There was

nobody there but the children and me.

You'd think the Medical

Society could have...

They probably

didn't know about it.

Anyway, none of

that matters now.

While he was still alive

we hoped he'd get

justice, I mean, for his sake.

You know how we felt about him.

Now it's only a question of

how long it will take the world

to accord him the honor

he deserved during his life.

He ought to have a monument in

every city and a park called after him

and a Morton Boulevard and...

That might be

a little too much, Eben.

Maybe one hospital someday.

One hospital! Every hospital

ought to be called after him.

This is what I came

to bring you.

Eben, how very kind of you.

This was the last one.

He hated to part with it.

"To the benefactor of mankind"

"with the gratitude

of humanity."

I'm sorry I stirred

everything up.

I was just thinking

how happy we were.

It was the only time he

was really happy in his life.

We thought he was all

through worrying about things.

He was happy with the farm.

You know he won all

the prizes one year?

Best-kept farm, most

improvements, best sow.

$3 for his admirable geese.

Daddy! Daddy!

Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Daddy!

Whoah! Daddy!

Huh?

Daddy!

Letter.

I wonder what this is?

(PANTING) I carried it all the

way and then I tripped and...

I got it.

Washington, D.C.

That's where

the President lives.

Washington crossed the Delaware.

What is it, William?

Listen to this, Lizzie.

Dr. Warren and the staff

of the Massachusetts General

addressed a memorial

to Congress.

Daniel Webster supported it

and now they're going to

vote me a $100,000 award.

How wonderful, William. At last.

I'll have to go to

Washington right away.

How are you going to do it?

Borrow on the place, I guess.

I did so want to hold on to this

for the children's sake.

They're so helpless.

But, Lizzie, you don't

seem to understand.

It's already passed Congress and

only has to be ratified by the Senate.

The money's as good

as in the bank

and all our years

of worry are behind us.

Everything I've ever promised

you will be yours with interest

and love and gratitude for

the patience you've displayed.

This is a memorial to the President,

signed by 20 United States...

It must be delivered to him before

he signs what he's about to sign.

Will you come in, please?

Do you say "Mr. Pierce"

or "Mr. President Pierce?"

Just "Mr. President."

This bill has

passed both Houses.

It requires only your signature.

This man has been

waiting for years.

I can't sign this yet.

Now, don't look as if you'd

lost your last friend, gentlemen.

As a man, I'm entirely for you.

As a lawyer, I must grant

your opponents some merit.

As the President, I'm forced

to lean over backwards.

However he may feel personally,

the President of

the United States

must always conduct

himself like Cautious Charlie.

That's his mission.

For that he was elected.

Now, I'm going to sign

this amendment, of course,

but first I want

you to do one thing.

I want you to bring

a little suit

against some army

or navy surgeon

for invading your patent.

He's bound to lose, that

will establish a precedent

and these gentlemen

will have to quit hollering.

But, Mr. President...

I won't wish you luck.

You won't need it.

You're a fine man, Doctor.

Believe me, I'd rather be

you than President any day.

Well, thank you, Mr. President.

All right,

Mr. President, I'll do it.

But I hate to have it

look as if I were trying

to make the government pay

to relieve wounded

soldiers from pain.

The government pays

for the g*ns, don't it, huh?

Well, good day, good day.

MAN: Shame that

the citizens of Boston

watch the progress

of this trial.

Vilified by every newspaper

in this country and abroad,

expelled from the American

Medical Association,

disowned by his fellow dentists,

burned in effigy by

his fellow townsmen,

this avaricious little dentist,

this money-grubbing

little opportunist

walks in shame, alone, unhailed.

Period.

Whatever the results

of this trial,

and we pray that Morton

will lose, hands down,

let this be a lesson to the...

How's this, sir?

Not bad.

I think I'd make

the fingers a little longer,

more claw-like,

more vulturesque.

Yes, Mr. Greeley.

Now where was I? Oh, yes.

Let this be a lesson

to the future Shylocks

who attempt to prey

upon the misery of man.

A discovery is not patentable.

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

A discovery is not patentable.

It is only where

the explorer has gone

beyond the domain

of mere discovery

and has laid hold

of the new principle

and connected it with

some mechanical contrivance

by which it acts

on the material world

that he can secure exclusive

control of it under the patent law.

The patent is invalid, but its

discoverer is entitled to be classed...

MAN: You're no good!

You never was

and you never will be!

Among the greatest

benefactors of mankind.

How do you do?

Is this the same as

bought by the government?

Yes, sir, it's the

same that we sell

to the government,

guaranteed in every respect.

Is this the same

as Dr. Morton's?

Well, this is an ether inhaler,

guaranteed to work perfect.

Whether it's the same as

Dr. what's-his-name's, I wouldn't know...

Well, I would, because I

happen to be Dr. what's-his-name

and I happen

to have invented these!

So you invented bottles, huh?

People have been using

them for a long time.

They'll be very glad to know

that you've invented them at last,

and maybe you invented the wheel,

too, and the needle and thread...

You know what I'm talking about!

What's this hole for?

To stick flowers in.

Look, I sell bottles.

People can keep schnapps

in them or maple syrup

or anything they

want to for all I care.

Well, you'll care when I get

through with you, you dirty swindler!

Now wait a minute...

Trying to rob me, huh?

You invented them, did you?

Now, wait a minute...

Wait, wait, wait!

Help! Stop it! Stop it! Help!

Well, you're going to get it

whether you want it or not.

You must rest both for

yourself and your family.

I tell you I can't

afford it, Doctor.

My practice has

all gone to pieces,

I neglected it while it was good

and now my assistants have gone

and taken all the

patients with them.

I got so wrapped up

in that ether thing.

I'm so mad most of the time.

I mean, all those people

saying I stole their

ideas from them.

You know I discovered

the use of ether, don't you?

Of course I know it.

That's what k*lled him, you

know, that trip to New York.

It was that last article of

Dr. Jackson's calling him a charlatan,

saying he'd stolen his discovery

and bringing back all

the misery of 20 years,

reopening the wounds.

We got him into bed,

but in the middle

of the night he got up

and started sorting his papers

to prove Jackson was a liar.

On the 15th he seemed better.

It was very hot.

We went for a drive

in Central Park.

He insisted on holding

the reins himself

even though he said

they were very heavy.

Suddenly he pulled up the horses

and got off to the ground and

just looked into the darkness.

I said, "What is it, dear?"

I said, "William, answer me."

But he just smiled.

As if suddenly he'd understood

something, at long last.

Then pitched forward

on his face.

The papers spoke of him

as the man who claimed

to have discovered

the use of ether.

They dug up

the whole nasty business.

That Dr. Jackson had

told him how to do it.

That he, Jackson, had

known about it for years.

Can you imagine anyone

keeping a secret like that?

And then they brought in poor

Horace Wells' claim that he did it first,

and Dr. Crawford Long's claim

that he had done it four years before.

Well, maybe they all

did do it first,

maybe they all did

discover the use of ether.

I guess they did, all right.

Why should they lie about it?

But it seems so cruel to have

let people go on suffering so long

after they knew how to stop it.

All I know is that three months

after my husband

discovered anesthesia,

the whole world was using it.

Supper's ready, Mama.

All right, dear.

Come along, Eben.

Won't you have still

another piece of pie, Eben?

Oh, I...

No, thank you.

You're going to make some

man very happy someday.

Thank you, Mr. Frost.

My, how your father loved pie.

I really think that's

why he married me.

Oh, Mama.

He ate so much, my mother wanted

to throw him straight

out of the house.

Oh, dear, I do declare.

I do declare, Lizzie,

I'm going to have to ask

that young Mr. Morton to leave.

He pays his board regularly,

but he's just eating us

out of house and home.

Tonight he had

three plates of soup

and 12 slices of bread,

not that I counted them,

four helpings of roast

beef, six potatoes,

almost a whole

bunch of sparrowgrass,

a hatful of beans, peas and

beets and three wedges of pie.

Now, I can't do

that on $3 a week.

Mrs. Bidon charges

$4 a week and...

Why, Lizzie.

Honey child.

I had no idea you

were fond of him.

You know I don't mean

half the things I say.

I wouldn't ask him to leave if he

ate twice as much, heaven forbid.

If you didn't want me to.

He's leaving anyway.

Why? Now, don't

tell me I indicated

by so much as the

slightest look or glance...

He hasn't got any money.

He can't be a medical

student anymore.

Oh, the poor lamb.

Well, there are plenty

of other businesses.

Maybe he'd do well

in the meat business.

He seems to like it.

He's going to be a dentist.

And he seemed such

a nice young man.

You may not like the idea,

but you're going to have a

dentist in the family just the same.

A dentist?

I'm certainly going to

miss you, Miss Lizzie.

I'm certainly going

to miss you, Mr. Morton.

It's not going to be

very cheerful in Boston.

It's not going to be

very cheerful here.

You really mean that,

Miss Lizzie?

(CRYING) Mmm-hmm.

Now, don't do that.

I can't help it.

Miss Lizzie, if I thought you'd

wait for me, I'd work so hard

that in almost no time

at all, I venture to say

I'd be in a position

to support a...

Not in luxury maybe,

but to support a family

of reasonable size.

Oh, William!

And I know you're going

to be rich and famous

and I'm going to be

so proud of you, darling.

And Father won't be able to

talk against dentists anymore.

And we'll have a big house

and while you're at

the office I'll be at home

taking care of my end of things.

Elegant around here, isn't it?

Oh, but this is so beautiful.

Won't you try it?

With pleasure.

Oh, it's deliciously

comfortable, William.

One would be

reluctant to leave it.

I hope the patients

feel that way about it.

Now, just lean back.

(LIZZIE EXCLAIMS)

(BOTH LAUGHING)

(SPEAKING BABY TALK)

Open your mouth. Uh-uh.

Will you open your mouth?

Don't be a child.

(SCREAMS)

What are you trying to do,

ruin my business?

What are you

trying to do, ruin me?

I've bored bigger

holes in children

and they smiled while I did it.

They must have been half-wits.

Open your mouth. No!

Open your mouth and

keep your trap shut.

Why don't you try and show a

little courage? This won't hurt a bit.

(MORTON SCREAMS)

If I could lie like you,

I'd take up fortunetelling.

Now, open your mouth.

(SCREAMING SHRILLY)

Don't be in a hurry. I'll be

with you in just a moment.

(EXCLAIMING)

Now, you sit down.

I'll be with you in a moment.

(CHILD CRYING) All right.

MAN: Be a man.

(CHILD WAILING)

Now...

(CHILD CRYING)

Aren't you going to have

another piece of pie, dear?

Hmm? Oh, no, thank you, Lizzie.

Are you sick?

What?

What are you frowning about?

The dental profession.

Oh, I'm sorry, dear.

It can't be helped,

but they yell so, Lizzie.

It's bloodcurdling.

It gets on your nerves.

You can't put in a nice inlay

like you did in dental college

with them screaming

bloody m*rder in your face

or trying to bite you.

It's impossible.

Unless you're deaf or a demon or

somebody that likes to see people suffer.

Why don't you try

stuffing up your ears?

If there could be some way to...

Like your leg goes

to sleep sometimes

when you're resting

your elbow on it.

Only it must be pretty hard

to put your head to sleep.

There ought to be a way

to desensitize a nerve.

Say, didn't Dr. Jackson

say something about that

one night after supper?

I don't remember, dear.

Somebody had

the toothache and...

Oh, yes, it was Horace

Wells. His face was all...

That's right. And Jackson said the

only way to desensitize a nerve was...

What?

I don't remember.

Some kind of drops or something

and it was supposed

to help some.

Why don't you go and ask him?

Because I despise him so,

the sarcastic old blowhard.

It would be better

than hearing people yell.

I don't think it worked, anyhow.

I remember Horace said...

Yes, but you're not sure.

(CHILD CRYING)

You might try to find

something for that, too.

Is Professor Jackson in?

Sorry, sir, he's not at home.

Thanks.

But you might

try Costello's, sir.

Oh. Thanks.

Good evening,

Professor Jackson. How...

Why don't you look

what you're doing?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Say, do you remember what

you used on Horace Wells

the night he had the toothache?

Do I know you?

Yes. W.T.G. Morton.

I was a student of yours

at Harvard Medical.

His face was swollen

out and you said...

Oh, yes, Morton, of course.

As I remember, you

were a rather dull student.

You didn't keep us

in stitches, either.

I suppose now you are

a successful physician?

No, I didn't finish. I didn't

have enough money.

Well, you shouldn't have gone

in for medicine in the first place.

One of the cankers

of our profession

is the number

of youths without funds

or proper background who

try to worm their way into it

for the rich rewards

they imagine it holds.

Thanks. I'm glad to see the

years haven't changed you.

How are you getting along?

Pretty well.

Rum punch. BARTENDER: Yes, sir.

It could be a lot better,

if there were only some

way to deaden the pain a little.

They get in your chair

and they start to yell,

and the first thing you know...

You say your chair?

Are you a barber now?

No, no, a dentist. Oh.

You say your patients yell?

They certainly do.

Well, the remedy for that

is very simple.

It's been known

since the 15th century.

They still do it

at county fairs.

You merely provide

a small orchestra

and when your patient screeches,

you outscreech him.

I suppose you think

that's very funny.

I see your sense of

humor hasn't improved.

Neither have your jokes.

I thought that was pretty good.

Ah, well. Have you

tried oil of cloves?

I've tried oil of cloves, I've tried

camphor, I've tried peppermint,

I've tried whiskey, I've

tried brandy, I've tried gin.

None of those are any good.

There's only one way to

desensitize a nerve, that's to freeze it.

You might fill your patient

full of ice. What with?

How do I know? A funnel.

I thought you were serious.

Well, of course there is

another way of producing cold,

that's by evaporation.

You might try something

with a low boiling point.

But I didn't come here to

deliver a lecture on chemistry.

Bartender, give me a drink.

Let me buy you one.

Well, unaccustomed as I am

to imbibing with dentists...

What has a low boiling point?

One of the ethers, I suppose.

You might get yourself

some ethyl chloride drops.

That's all the shop

I want to talk.

I think that's it.

What's ethyl chloride?

What's ethyl chloride?

He goes to school

with me for years

and now he doesn't know

what ethyl chloride is.

Morton, you are the living proof

that plowboys belong

behind the horse.

Well, what is it?

What's what?

Ethyl chloride.

C2 H5 CL.

Known to corn doctors

as chloric ether.

Where can I get some?

Well, you might

try a feed store,

and if you can't get it there,

then you might try

Burnett's Pharmacy.

My pupil.

Here's to you, Professor.

The same to you, Doctor.

My pupil.

Oh, my! That's it.

Put it in. Hold it.

Yes?

I want to get

some ether, please.

Do you have to have it tonight?

I'd like to.

Oh, well. Hold

it there, Charlie.

Do you want chloric

or sulfuric? What?

C2 H5 CL or C2 H5 OC2

H5? Now, just a minute.

Do you want it

for corns or asthma?

Why don't you come in

in the morning?

Give me a bottle of each.

An ounce?

A pint. A pint?

Hold it, Charlie.

Hello, Nig.

Is that you, William?

Yes, dear. I'll be

up in a little while.

All right, dear.

William?

William?

(LIZZIE GASPS)

William!

You're drunk.

You ought to be

ashamed of yourself.

What the matter

with you, Lizzie?

I had two drinks.

Two small drinks,

no more, no less...

You won't make it any

better by lying about it.

You reek of cheap liquor.

Now get up. I'll help you.

Who asked for any help?

What's the matter with

you, Lizzie, you crazy?

Get up.

Why should I get up?

I'm not down anyplace.

Then what are you

doing on the floor?

Who's on a floor?

Where's a floor?

Get up. That's funny.

Lizzie, I tell you

I've not been drinking.

I had two small drinks.

Why should I lie to you?

If I'd had three drinks or

four drinks or even five drinks,

I'd just as soon...

I don't know, but I tell

you I was not drunk.

Tell me something.

Was I drunk when I

came in here last night?

You're the young man

who wanted the ether.

That's right. Would you say

that I was drunk at the time?

Not particularly. What do

you mean "not particularly"?

I had two drinks, two with

Professor Jackson down at Costello's.

I came in here cold sober,

went straight home,

and at midnight my wife found

me rolling around on the floor.

Well, your liver must be torpid.

You see, the poisons are

normally dissipated through the liver,

but when this organ

becomes congested...

Now I have here...

Yes, well, I happen to have

been a medical student myself

and right now I'm a

practicing dental surgeon.

My liver works

like a buttered eagle,

and if anybody was drunk in

here last night, it wasn't me.

Now, there are

two things possible.

Either I had a stroke, which

I don't appear to have had,

or somehow that bottle of ether

that I found

empty this morning...

Which one was it?

The sulfuric, I think.

Well, there's your answer.

You don't have

to go any further.

The fumes of sulfuric ether

are extremely noxious.

We have to keep

it tightly sealed,

and I'm always

telling my assistant.

If I've told him once I've

told him a thousand times,

I've said, "Charlie..." Well,

that solves that mystery,

although I don't suppose

my wife will ever believe it.

Thanks. Do you

want another bottle?

I should say not.

Wait a minute.

Give me another bottle of it.

Yes, sir.

Well, at last.

Why, Horace Wells. How are you?

What are you doing in Boston?

I just got in from Hartford.

Come in.

I have something very

interesting to tell you.

What is it?

You remember when

we were students,

we used to try to figure how

to pull a tooth without pain?

I'm still trying.

I just got a bottle down...

Forget it. That's what I

came to tell you about.

I've made the most important

discovery in the world.

Fine. I can extract teeth

or fill them or do anything I like with

them without any pain whatsoever.

No.

Absolutely. That's

what I'm here for.

I'm giving a demonstration

at Harvard Medical at 10:30.

I want you to lend me a key

and act as my assistant.

That's wonderful. Well, how do

you do it, or is that your secret?

I wish it were my secret,

but the stuff is so well-known

you can't stop them

from recognizing it.

I'll just have to be the

father of painless dentistry

and let it go at that.

What is it?

Nitrous oxide, laughing gas.

Laughing gas?

You mean like they

use at the county fairs?

I do. For the

entertainment of the yokels.

For heaven's sake.

That's where I got the idea.

I saw this lout leaping around

and making a fool of himself

and laughing his head off,

and all the time he had a

gash that long in his shin

he'd got falling off

the platform.

He never even knew it.

He hadn't felt it.

That's very interesting.

But how can you work on

them when they're laughing?

But they're not laughing.

I give them a little more

and they fall asleep.

But they must be

half-asphyxiated.

That can't be very healthy.

I had an experience

just last night...

Naturally, you

have to be careful.

How many times have you done it?

Four times.

You're not ready for any

demonstration at Harvard Medical.

What if it didn't work?

It has to work.

I'm not going to stand around and

wait till somebody else does this first.

If you don't want to help me, I'll

borrow a key from someone else.

I'll help you on one condition.

We go by Dr. Jackson's first

and he says it isn't dangerous.

What's that old moss-head

know about it?

He doesn't know

anymore about it than I do.

Poppycock! What do

you mean, "poppycock"?

I tell you I've done it.

And I tell you that you're

endangering the lives

of the fools who trust you.

Certainly you can

render a man unconscious

by asphyxiating

him or drowning him

or hitting him on the

head with a dornick!

That's no discovery.

Henry Hill Hickman went all through

that. Priestley found laughing gas

and Humphry Davy tried

all that stuff 50 years ago.

Faraday experimented

with every type of inhalant

he could lay his hands on.

In the end, all these

men abandoned the idea.

Do you expect to succeed

where the greatest scientists

in the world have failed?

Discoveries are still

being made, aren't they?

They're not being made by

any half-educated schoolboys.

You'd better give up this

nonsense before you k*ll somebody!

And that goes for you,

too, Morton!

Go back to your tooth-yanking,

and leave science

to the scientists!

Thanks.

Nevertheless, at 10:30 this

morning at Harvard Medical School,

I will pull a tooth

totally without pain

by the use of the Wells Method.

"The Wells Method."

The half-asphyxiated method!

And now, young gentlemen,

we are to assist at a very

interesting experiment.

Dr. Horace Wells of

Hartford, Connecticut

and his assistant

are about to demonstrate

the Wells Method of

painless extraction

on your fellow student,

Homer Quinby,

who has volunteered

to be the subject.

(STUDENTS APPLAUDING)

Are we nearly ready?

Yes, sir. That'll be enough.

Then if you'll kindly

step up here, Homer.

Yes, sir, Dr. Warren.

Don't let them give

you too much of it.

No, sir, Professor Jackson.

(STUDENTS LAUGHING)

Sit right here, Homer.

Now this isn't going to

hurt you a bit, Homer.

You just sit back and...

Now, don't you give

me too much of that stuff.

Don't you worry about that.

Now I think we're

just about ready.

Now, open your mouth, please.

Now breathe deeply.

Keep on breathing, Homer.

Keep on breathing.

Again.

Once more.

(LAUGHING)

(ALL LAUGHING)

It's all very funny, but

they're apt to k*ll him!

Now behave yourself, Homer.

Homer, behave yourself!

Now, open your mouth

and breathe deeply.

What are you trying

to do, k*ll that boy?

I know what I'm doing!

Maybe he's had enough, Doctor?

Yes.

Well... All right.

Hold his head, please.

(HOMER SCREAMING)

Homer!

(ALL CLAMORING) Faker!

PROF. WARREN:

Quiet, please! Quiet!

Stop that! Gentlemen!

Any man who goes by me

will be expelled immediately!

I know every one of you!

That's because he

didn't get enough of it!

I wanted to give him more

until that old mealy-mouth...

I tell you this is the greatest

discovery in the world.

I'm the father

of painless dentistry.

I can extract teeth or pull

them or do anything I want...

Take it easy, take it easy.

It may be all you say, but

you've still got to experiment.

You've got to try

it out little by little.

You've got to creep

before you can walk.

I tell you I've done it four

times without a failure.

All right, I'll mix up

some of the stuff.

Go get me a cat or a dog or a

horse or a lion and I'll show you.

I'll get you a rabbit.

You'll learn something.

I'll be very glad to,

Horace, believe me.

Is anybody in?

I'm in terrible pain, dearie.

Some faker broke my tooth

and then couldn't yank it.

Could you do

anything for me, dearie?

Come in.

I suppose it'll hurt

something terrible.

It isn't going to hurt a bit.

Come in.

There you are.

No pain whatsoever.

The tooth's gone.

She didn't move a muscle.

You shouldn't have

done that, Horace.

What are you talking about?

This is

the greatest discovery...

She's a mighty funny color.

That doesn't mean anything.

They turn all kind of

colors. She'll be all right.

I tell you this

is the greatest...

How long has this woman

been unconscious?

I don't know.

I didn't notice the time.

She'll be all right... Shut up!

Get a doctor, quick.

There's one at

the end of the hall.

Get some smelling salts and

some brandy and hurry up about it!

She's dead or so close to it.

Come on, old girl.

DOCTOR: Give me the

three drops of strychnine.

MORTON: Yes, Doctor.

Be careful, you dumb dentist!

The salts again.

Yes, Doctor.

How is she?

I don't know yet.

If she lives,

I'll never experiment

with human life again,

so help me, God.

If she doesn't live...

You won't have the chance to!

I'll put you both in prison.

The idea of a couple of

half-baked dentists endangering...

Just a minute!

That's wonderful, dearie.

I never felt a thing.

Didn't take a second, did it?

Hello, Nig.

Nitrous oxide...

Hello, Nig, old man.

Come here, Nig, old man.

Come here, Nig, old boy.

Come on, old boy.

We're not afraid

of a little experiment.

Come here, Nig.

Come here, Nig, old boy.

Come here.

Come here, Nig, old boy.

Come on.

Come here, Nig. Here, Nig.

Come on, old boy.

Come on, Nig, old boy.

I'm not going to

hurt you, old man.

Come on, Nig, old man.

I'm not going to hurt you.

Come on, Nig. Come on, old boy.

That's a good old man.

Come on, Nig. I won't hurt you.

There you are.

All right, old man.

Come on, Nig, old boy. Come on.

(CRASHING)

Nig!

Come on, boy.

William!

Drunk again, I suppose.

Who's drunk? Lizzie, for heaven's

sake, what's the matter with you?

What's the matter with you

would be more to the point.

You stay away from dinner.

You don't even send word.

It was the baby's birthday

and you didn't even remember,

and now, in the middle of

the night, I find you groveling...

I've had enough

irritations today

without standing

any more from you

when I come home

tired and weary.

I just want to catch

that blasted dog.

What are you doing to that dog?

What have you got

on that handkerchief?

I'll protect you, Nig!

William Thomas Green Morton,

if you harm a hair of this dog's

head! This is my dog, you know,

I'll go straight home to Mother!

Is that a promise?

(GASPS) You brute!

Talking that way to the

mother of your children!

You may regret this night,

William Thomas Green Morton!

He can't talk

that way to us, Nig.

Talking that way to the

mother of his children.

I'll protect you.

I'll protect you.

We'll go home to Mother.

(CRYING) We'll take the

babies and we'll take you,

and we'll take the furniture.

Because after all, Daddy

gave it to me, anyway.

William?

William!

All I can say is...

(SCREAMS)

William.

(SCREAMS)

Never felt it.

Went through by itself,

when I was asleep.

Take a good look

at that, Lizzie.

That's the first painless...

The first absolutely painless...

William. Darling.

How's that?

Fine, but underline

that word "Double."

All right, Doctor.

Good.

You didn't go to Burnett's?

No, I went to Brewer, Stevens

and Cushing, on Washington Street.

You didn't mention

my name? No, dear.

What's that?

The new sign,

"Completely painless extractions

or double your money back."

Let me do it.

We'll keep buying it at different

places, until I get my patent.

It's bound to cause

a lot of talk, Lizzie.

Every dentist in town will

try to find out what I'm using.

What're you going tell

them when they ask you?

I figured out

a pretty good name.

Did you ever hear of the

river Lethe in mythology?

I never even heard of mythology.

It was the stream of oblivion

that banished all

earthly sorrows.

Letheon!

But are you sure it

will work, William?

Why, of course

it'll work, Lizzie.

I've tried it on myself

I don't know how many times,

and on the goldfish and

on a cat and on another cat.

But not on Nig.

Not on Nig. But if I

could have caught him...

Then we'll really be rich.

How can we help it, Lizzie?

I've got the dental business

right by the nose.

I've applied for a patent.

Either they get their license

from me or they go out of business.

I can do things in dentistry that

have never been done before.

For instance, the lute.

Now, there's a way

of crowning teeth

with a lute, that's wonderful,

but it's so painful, nobody's

ever been able to stand it.

All right, I can use the lute.

And consider impactions,

the horror of the business...

William. Huh?

Oh.

Come right in, sir.

You guarantee twice the

money back if I feel anything?

I do, sir. Step right in.

I'll take $10 of that bet.

You'll never regret it.

Have a seat.

What's that stink?

That is the Letheon, my friend.

That is what Kills the pain.

I don't like the smell of it.

Nevertheless,

you'll be grateful for it.

Now the hat,

and if you don't mind...

Look out, that's

a very delicate violin.

I'll take the best care of it.

Double my money back

if I feel anything?

Guaranteed. Now the towel.

And now let's have a look

at the tooth, please.

Ah.

(SCREAMS)

That's it.

In a few moments,

it'll be just a memory.

Double my money

back if I feel it?

Double your money back

if you feel anything.

Now, if you'll just put

this end in your mouth,

and inhale deeply

for a few moments.

What happens then?

You will then sink

into a gentle slumber,

a sort of cat nap, from which

you will awake without pain,

and without the tooth.

On the level? On the level.

It's a little

invention of my own.

Now, if you'll

hold that, please.

Put that end into your

mouth and inhale deeply.

No, no, not at me.

Just suck it in. Now.

Now again.

Now, don't you begin to feel

a little bit drowsy?

No.

Well, then again.

Double my money back?

Double your money back.

Now, don't you begin

to feel a little...

Here they come, boys!

Here they come!

They're coming in the window!

Stop that!

Ready! Aim! Fire!

(LIZZIE SCREAMS)

Avast!

You would, would you?

(LIZZIE SCREAMING)

Charge! Charge!

Come on, boys, follow me!

Give me liberty!

Follow me! Follow me!

Here, you are! Here, you are!

Ah, so there you are, General!

I've been looking for you

all over the b*ttlefield.

Well, you won't have

to look any further.

You've found me. Come on.

Do you think maybe he was crazy?

He didn't seem crazy

when he came in.

Maybe it affects

people in different ways.

You're sure you got

ether, sulfuric ether?

Of course I did, dear.

Here's the bill.

(LAUGHING)

Yes, well,

if you're all through...

When you told me to

try ether the other night,

I got a bottle

of sulfuric ether...

I told you to try chloric ether.

Haven't you any memory at all?

You go fooling around

with sulfuric ether

and you'll blow your head off.

Well, I can put

myself to sleep with it.

What for? How did you do it?

By inhaling it.

I wanted to see if I

could extract teeth with it.

I was sure I could.

I'm still sure I can.

I know it's just around

the corner, but I'm stuck.

Something went wrong.

I want you to help me out

and I'll pay you for your help.

My regular fee is $500.

I haven't got $500, but I'll tell

you what I'm prepared to do.

Here's a 10% interest in my

patent, if it's worth anything.

What are you patenting?

The use of Letheon.

Well, that's what I'm calling it

so that people won't

find out the secret.

"I hereby assign

to Dr. Charles T. Jackson,"

"one-tenth of my

interest in this discovery"

"for his assistance

in its perfection."

If I make $500 on this,

I'll die of a syncope.

Now, what is this

deep problem, Professor?

Well, the ether's been working

perfectly ever since I started,

then this morning I gave some to a

patient and he jumped out the window.

There goes my $500!

Have you a sample of your ether?

Yes, sir.

Where did you get this?

Brewer, Stevens and Cushing,

on Washington Street.

The trouble with you is

you can't remember anything.

I told you to go to Burnett's.

That's the only place in town where

you can get highly-rectified ether.

Highly-rectified.

Paste that in your hat.

This is cleaning fluid.

You mean that was the trouble?

That was the problem, Professor.

Thank you, Doctor.

You'll be a rich man for this.

You wouldn't care to settle

for $50 cash, would you?

Thank you just the same, Doctor.

Are you sure you got

the right one this time?

I'm as sure, Lizzie, as

anyone can be sure of anything.

Hey.

Well, well, I'm glad to see you.

And I'm not glad to see you.

I'll have my coat and fiddle

please, and no horsing around.

Won't you let me explain?

I'll have no explanations,

thank you.

Just give me my instrument.

Won't you let me have

it repaired for you?

What are you talking about?

Come in and let's talk it over.

I will not. You know where I've

been for the last eight hours?

In the jug,

charged with drunkenness.

Me, who has never touched

anything stronger than sarsaparilla.

Now, get me my fiddle

and don't try any pranks.

How's your tooth?

I'll take care of that.

Will you listen to me, please?

No!

All right. There's your fiddle.

What did you do to that violin?

I'm gonna have you

arrested and put...

You keep it away from me now.

I'm going to have

you put in jail...

No, no, no. You keep

away from me now.

I just want you to

smell it to convince you.

I gave you the wrong

mixture this morning.

Well, try it on somebody else.

I don't want to try it on you.

I just want you to smell it,

to be sure it isn't the same.

You remember what it

smelled like this morning?

I'll remember it

till the day I die.

Did it smell anything like that?

Exactly.

Well, it must be drying off.

Actually there's no

similarity at all. Smell it now.

It smells the same to me.

How can you say

it smells the same?

Don't you notice the

faint odor of peaches?

Peaches? Yes, peaches.

Can't you smell that?

Peaches? What're

you doing? I'm sorry.

Look, how dare you?

I got it all over you.

Peaches! Where do you

get the smell of peaches?

It'll evaporate in no time.

Peaches?

Peaches? I don't

notice any peaches.

Smells more like...

Like...

Why don't you sit down?

Don't you start anything now.

No, no, no. There.

Don't you start anything now.

You're the most

suspicious man I ever saw.

If you think I care anything

about your tooth, you're crazy.

All I want to know is, does

this smell like peaches or pears?

Now, give me your

answer like a man.

Pears.

No... Peaches.

There you are.

There you are.

As easy as falling off the roof.

I could have sawed his

leg off without his feeling it.

Lizzie.

What is it, dear?

If I could make this sleep last,

say, 10 or 15 minutes longer...

Oh, no, that's too

much to hope for.

No, it isn't.

I tell you I can do it.

You mean fill teeth?

Nothing to do with teeth.

I got it. Persimmons.

Hey!

I can. I'm sure I can.

Tell the Doctor to hurry and

dress for dinner, Roberts. He's late.

The Doctor sends all his

apologies, madam, and to the guests,

but regrets that he will

not be home for dinner.

But he just came in.

He sent word, madam,

through the coachman.

Thank you, Roberts.

Very good, madam.

How do you feel now?

I feel terrible.

And you know something else?

You know how long

you were under this time?

I really don't care.

Nineteen minutes. And I jabbed

you every 15 seconds with this.

Ouch! I'm getting to

feel like a pincushion.

Come on, we'll go right

down and see him now.

We'll get a bite

to eat on the way.

Here you are.

So there you are! You've been

dodging me as long as you're going to.

You and your new discoveries.

Who are you? Go

down and get me a cab.

I'll join you in a moment.

Now what is it?

You swindled me.

I'd be a little more careful of my

verbs, if I were you, Professor...

I'll use any verbs I like, and that

goes for adverbs and adjectives.

You swan-dangled me into

accepting 10% of this Letheon,

or whatever you call it...

You wanted $500. You're

going to get much more.

What are you complaining about?

You didn't reveal its

possibilities to me.

You pretended to be a poor

little dentist trying to get along

and when I suggested ether...

You suggested chloric

ether drops. That didn't work.

Maybe I did, but that's

what gave you the idea.

Did it give you the idea?

I've known all about

sulfuric ether for years,

and why you should come along

and profit by my discovery...

The only trouble

with you, Professor,

is that you're a little

bit cracked in the head.

You did not discover

ether narcosis. I did.

Now, is there anything else?

I'll have 25% of that patent

I signed, or by Joseph...

Well, you'd better

take it up with Joseph.

Because as far as I'm concerned,

you're already getting

more than you deserve.

I could have gone to

any chemist in the city,

to find out what

I wanted to know.

It happened I came to you.

That is your ultimatum?

If that means what I

think it means, it is.

Very well, sir. Yes, sir.

We'll see. We certainly shall.

You know,

this could go on all night.

I'm going down

to the Massachusetts General

to ask Professor

Warren to try the Letheon.

Do you want to come along?

You mean in a surgical case?

Don't you know

the difference between

a serious operation

and yanking a tooth?

You'll k*ll somebody yet with

this murderous nonsense of yours,

as sure as my name is Jackson.

Then I take it you

don't want to come along.

Come along? If you

even mention my name

to Professor Warren

as co-discoverer...

Well, make up your mind.

Are you in or out

or on the fence?

You'll find out,

young man! All right.

You'll see!

All right, I'll see.

Yes, yes, yes,

but Professor Warren

is performing

an emergency operation.

Then I'll wait.

You don't seem to understand

that after an operation,

a surgeon is completely

enervated, exhausted.

All the more reason.

My dear Dr. Martin... Morton.

Morton. As Professor

Warren's assistant,

part of my duty is to shield

him to the best of my ability,

from the many well-meaning,

well, I won't say cranks,

but let me say,

amateur inventors

who come here every day with

every kind of gewgaw and gimcrack

for every purpose imaginable.

Now only yesterday...

But you don't understand.

My methods are being used

by all my assistants

on hundreds of people

all day long.

In dentistry, my dear sir,

but what has dentistry

to do with medicine?

But here is the living proof.

It was the night

of September 30th.

I was in excruciating pain...

I know, you told me all about

that when you first came in.

Now, if you will be so good

as to write to Professor Warren,

you will very probably

receive an answer.

Thank you.

You're entirely welcome.

I was in excruciating pain...

Very interesting. Very,

very interesting. Yes.

Not that one, the big one.

(PATIENT GROANING)

PROF. WARREN: Pad.

There. How do you feel, old man?

I... I...

Now this part's the bad part.

I'll do it as fast as I can.

Wedge. Try biting on this.

It helps a little sometimes.

Now!

Will you finish

up for me, Doctor?

Certainly, Professor Warren.

Behave now, will you?

This is no time

to act like a woman.

What's all this?

I guess it was

the sound of the...

Oh, Professor Warren.

Stretch him out. Let

the blood get to his head.

Oh, I'm so sorry,

Professor Warren.

I tried to keep these

people away from you,

but now, they seem to have

attracted your attention by...

Go get some smelling

salts. I beg your pardon?

Smelling salts.

Ammonium carbonate.

Professor Warren,

I've been waiting to see you.

If you'll listen to me, never

again will you have to go through

what you've just

gone through in there.

As God is my judge,

I swear by all that's holy,

you can operate without pain.

I do it every day.

For any length of time you want.

Why, only tonight, I had

this man out for 19 minutes.

He's still out.

Yes, but that was...

What's your name?

W. T. G. Morton, the dentist.

Oh, yes. Didn't you

take part in that fiasco

at the Harvard Medical School?

I did.

Are you proposing

I use that same remedy?

What I'm proposing is

something entirely different.

It's been thoroughly tried

out, tested and proved.

It cannot fail

and it will not fail.

I'm sorry, it took a moment.

They were using

it on the patient.

Hold his head up.

Be here Friday morning at

10:00 and bring your bag of tricks.

You mean you'll try it?

I'll try it on my

first operation.

I don't know how to thank

you, Professor Warren.

You don't have to thank me,

because I don't think it's going to work.

But someday, somebody's

going to find something.

That must come.

Now, sit him up.

That's better, old man.

And when that

somebody comes along,

I want to be there

to open the door for him.

It was the night

of September 30th.

I was in excruciating pain...

So were a lot of other people.

Everybody kept

asking where you were,

and Mrs. Burroughs

leaned over and said,

"I know exactly

how it feels, dear."

And, of course, everybody

knows that her husband

is the biggest soak in Boston.

I never had such an evening.

And, of course, I couldn't

understand a word the Consul said,

and the Mayor's wife

kept looking at the silver

as if she thought it was stolen.

And then, the sherbet

came in ahead of the fish.

That must have been terrible.

And for the finale,

you really came in

looking as if you'd been

rolling in the gutter.

Well, I guess it was kind

of dusty at the hospital.

They're going to try it out

on Friday morning at 10:00.

Try out what?

Oh. I'm sorry, dear.

Just think, Lizzie,

it won't hurt anymore.

Surgeons will be able

to take their time.

They'll be able to do things that

have been impossible up to now.

And people will choose

operations willingly,

instead of waiting

till it's too late.

But suppose it

doesn't work, William,

and people hear about it,

won't it hurt your business?

It will work.

Anyway, that's the risk

you have to take.

But why? Why must

you take that risk?

You've made a wonderful success.

You've helped so many people

already, why endanger that?

Did you ever see an amputation?

(STUDENT LAUGHING)

Something special today?

The old man's going to try

another painless operation.

Give you 2-to-1 for four bits.

I'll give you 3-to-1.

Who asked you to horn in?

I'll give you 10-to-1.

Who said that?

I did and I'll

take all you've got.

What do you know?

Hurry up, will you!

You promised it at 8:00

and it's 9:10.

Hold your horses,

will you. It's only 9:09.

Fill that half full of Letheon

and I'll meet you in a minute.

And a quart bottle of it.

Oh, Dr. Morton,

just a moment, please.

Not now. I'm

just going to tell...

This is a matter of the

greatest importance.

What is it? What is it?

About those lutes, do I

crimp the crown a little first

or bind it entirely

with the lute?

Dr. Morton, about

those additional offices...

Don't bother me with

things like that, will you?

I've got something

else on my mind.

What did he say? He didn't.

Everything ready?

We've got exactly 30 minutes.

Thirty-one.

The inhaler's in

here? Half full.

Is it tightly stoppered?

Because if it should happen...

Certainly it is.

I'd better take

a look at it myself.

I tell you it's...

Beautiful. Now you

can wrap it up again.

(KNOCK ON DOOR) What is it now?

Dr. Morton, there's a

Dr. Horace Wells to see you.

He said he was...

Yes, I wrote to him.

But not now.

Tell him...

Tell him anything you like.

Yes, sir. I'm very

sorry, Doctor Well...

Oh, hello, Horace.

I'm glad to see you.

I wrote to you because I wanted

you to do some field work for me.

I think you can make

yourself a lot of money.

Can you come back

and see me tomorrow morning?

I was here yesterday.

Oh, you were?

I'm sorry, but I've

been so terribly busy.

I came as a patient.

I said I wanted some work done

and I asked them to give

me "The Morton Method."

Well, what about it?

You stole it from me

lock, stock and barrel!

You're just

using it differently!

Don't talk like a child, Horace.

I'm using something

entirely different.

I'm sorry you feel this way.

You'll be sorrier still.

I'll never be sorrier than I

am at this moment, Horace.

All right,

let's get out of here.

(GLASS SHATTERING)

Why, you dumb...

Look out.

It can't be helped now.

We'll use one of

the regular ones.

We've still got 27 minutes left.

Twenty-eight.

You understand the risks involved

in this experiment, Mr. Abbott?

And you give your full consent?

I do.

Thank you.

(STUDENTS APPLAUDING)

Good morning, gentlemen.

The patient is ready,

Professor Warren.

He fully consents

to the new experiment.

Is Dr. Morton here?

(CHUCKLING) He doesn't

seem to be, does he?

Well, we'll give him

a couple of minutes.

Count the instruments.

I beg your pardon?

I said count the instruments.

Personally, I'm just as glad.

I don't care to see medicine

invaded by dental practice.

I echo your sentiments

with enthusiasm, Doctor.

There are 117 instruments,

Professor Warren,

the same amount we brought in.

Strap the patient down.

We were gathered here today,

you to witness, I to

perform, an experiment,

in which I had, if not confidence,

at least a grain of hope.

We were to try

a method advocated

by a young dentist of this city,

Dr. Morton.

It seems that Dr. Morton

is otherwise engaged.

(STUDENTS LAUGHING LOUDLY)

MORTON: Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

Come on, hurry up there.

It's just one minute past.

No, it isn't, it's only...

Don't say it

or I'll strangle you!

Quiet! Silence!

This is not a minstrelsy,

gentlemen.

I doubt that the patient

is enjoying your laughter.

I'll work as fast

as I can, Mr. Abbott.

The less you move

or jerk or scream,

the better it will be

for us both.

I'm going to hurt

you considerably.

If I can offer any consolation,

it is that pain

carries no memory.

You will forget it.

MORTON: Hurry up!

Hold his head, John.

Thank you. All right, John.

Yes, sir.

Wait.

(STUDENTS LAUGHING LOUDLY)

This operation

seems to be accompanied

by an unusual amount of levity.

Not that I exactly blame you.

(STUDENTS LAUGHING)

No more, gentlemen, please!

Well, sir, your

patient is ready.

Thank you, sir. So am I.

Don't be afraid.

You don't have

a thing to worry about.

It was the night

of September 30th.

I was in excruciating pain...

But agonizing...

I ain't afraid.

Just breathe in deeply.

That's right. Keep on breathing.

Time.

Dr. Warren, your

patient is ready.

Thank you.

Will he feel this?

He won't feel anything.

Shall we hold his head?

That will not be necessary.

The Velpeau. Thank you.

PROF: WARREN:

Pinch it. Another sponge.

Now the next one.

Can you hear me, Abbott?

Yes, sir.

Did you feel any pain?

I said, did you feel any pain?

When?

"When?"

Gentlemen,

this is no humbug!

(STUDENTS CHEERING)

Very pretty.

Very pretty indeed, Doctor,

but I think that Professor

Warren has forgotten

a little rule

of the Medical Society.

Of course.

That we shall see him about

and remind him of.

I'm proud of you too, William,

more than you will ever know.

And if I haven't

always appreciated

exactly what you've been doing,

it's only because

I didn't understand.

I hope you'll forgive me.

Oh, but there's nothing

to forgive, Lizzie.

I'm the one who

needs forgiveness.

It can't have been much fun

to have a husband who

always reeks of chemicals,

who works all night

and never comes home,

forgets dinner parties

and birthdays,

and everything else

a husband ought to remember.

As if any of that mattered.

Thank you, Lizzie.

Anyway, it's all over now.

They've got their painless

operations and I can get back to work.

And the first thing you need

is a good night's sleep.

I think that's

a very noble thought.

What does it matter

so long as it works?

It matters very much

indeed. Enormously.

The principle involved is basic.

Permit this one exception

and our doors are wide open

to every form of quackery

and charlatanism.

When we took our

Hippocratic oath...

My dear sir,

Dr. Morton is a dentist.

He's not bound by

the Hippocratic oath.

He doesn't have to share

his discoveries with others.

Dentists all have secrets

and they don't share them.

They're not obligated to.

Nor are we obligated

to use their secrets.

This man wants our endorsement

for the purpose of making money.

Already he's received

columns of free advertisement,

on the front page

of every newspaper,

where no dentist

has ever been before.

Now he wants more limelight,

a graver operation,

more notoriety,

to further the sale

of his patent remedy.

It's called an interview.

The fat one's from

the New York Herald.

He came all the way.

REPORTER: Are you

amputating the right or the left leg?

The right leg above the knee.

You're using

the regular Letheon,

the same as you use

in your office?

There is only one Letheon.

Do you anticipate

any pain, Doctor?

Where there is Letheon,

there can be no pain.

Do you expect a

distinguished audience?

Everybody will be there.

Are you the co-discoverer?

Mr. Frost's contribution

has been invaluable.

He was the first patient

on whom I operated,

and he's offered himself since

for countless experiments.

I cannot thank him enough.

It was the night

of September 30th.

I was in excruciating pain...

There isn't time, Eben.

I really have to go.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Madam. Thank you. Remarkable.

Good day. Good day, gentlemen.

Good day, Doctor.

No, no, it's mine,

entirely mine.

I merely allow Morton to

use it in his dental business.

But the papers

distinctly said...

My dear Bigelow, you don't

believe what you read in the papers?

I'll have something

to say about that.

Cards, please. No admission

without your cards, gentlemen.

But he came to me

of his own free will.

He ran the risk of ridicule

and injury to his business.

Don't you think

the odds are worth it?

From the pinnacle of your

generosity, Professor Warren,

from the loftiness

of your own viewpoint,

you're apt to overlook

the meanness

and avariciousness

of these little people.

You mean you intend

to ignore the protest

of your colleagues

in the Society?

The men who put you

in charge of this hospital?

You know very well that I can't.

I only wish I could.

What do you want me to do,

ask him what the stuff is?

That's all. Nothing more.

And if he won't tell us?

In that case,

we shall have to operate

in the good old-fashioned way.

After all, people have been

operated on for centuries,

without any assistance

from the dental profession.

Dr. Morton is here,

Professor Warren.

Ask him to come in

here for a moment.

By all means.

Will you step in, Dr. Morton?

Uh-uh, just the

doctor, if you please.

Who do you think you are?

You wanted to see me,

Professor Warren?

A very disagreeable situation

has arisen, Dr. Morton.

My colleagues of the

Massachusetts Medical Society

have protested against

our operation this afternoon.

What?

These gentlemen

are their delegates.

As you probably know,

Mr. Morton,

physicians may not use nor

prescribe patent medicines,

the ingredients of which

they ignore.

In other words, they

think you're trying

to make money out of your stuff.

I don't care whether

you do or not.

My only interest lies

in the fact that it works.

Well, you had me worried for a

moment. Believe me, gentlemen,

I've never had the slightest

intention of making money out of this.

Letheon is yours,

freely and in perpetuity.

Not only your property,

but that of all other hospitals

and charitable institutions

in this country

and in all other countries.

That's very generous

of you, Mr. Morton.

But I'm not sure you quite

understood what I said.

Physicians may not use nor

prescribe patent medicines,

the ingredients

of which they ignore.

Unfortunately,

we still ignore the

ingredients of your mixture.

Of course you can understand

why I can't tell you that,

can't you, Professor Warren?

It's the secret of my business,

the one advantage

I have over my rivals.

Why, if I were to tell

you what Letheon was,

in no time at all,

everybody'd be using it.

Would that be

such a catastrophe?

I'm afraid it might be for me.

You see, my patent

hasn't been granted yet.

It's still pending.

Maybe if you'd use the

Letheon this way for a little while,

why, later after my

patent had been granted...

You could sell

it for more money.

What? Why, you stuffy little...

Morton...

You've been splitting fees and

robbing your patients so long that you...

Stop it!

The ethics of our profession have

done much more good than harm.

They don't happen

to fit this case.

That is regrettable, but

there's nothing more to be said.

I thank you for

your good intention.

You mean you're

going to continue

to let people be tortured,

when it isn't necessary?

That's a very

high-handed interpretation

to put on the matter, my friend.

No.

We will share the

blame, Dr. Morton.

You and I.

Make the patient ready.

Yes, sir.

I shall operate

in the usual way.

Preposterous.

I'm sorry to disappoint

you, gentlemen,

but this operation will be

performed in the old way.

All right.

"And the prayer of faith

shall save the sick,"

"and the Lord shall raise him up"

"and if he have committed

sins, they shall be forgiven him."

Our Lady of Sorrows is

watching down over you, Alice,

and will send an angel

of mercy to protect you.

Thank you, Father.

Are you the girl?

The girl for the leg operation?

Yes, sir.

I'm terribly, terribly sorry.

It isn't as bad

as it sounds, sir.

Some gentleman has

made a new discovery

and it doesn't hurt anymore.

That's right.

It doesn't hurt anymore.

Now, or ever again.