Original subtitles

Big idea. You can't block the driveway. Get that thing out of here.

How do you like that?

Hey, buddy.

How do you feel?

I'm going to be all right.

Nothing. He just piled in and folded, so I brought him to the nearest hospital.

You'll have to get this cab out of here. I don't have to do nothing to get this

guy out of my cab. What are you running here, a parking lot or a hospital? What

happened?

I don't just know.

I was next to a cab stand and I got dizzy.

It didn't seem like I could see very well.

I'm going to be all right, aren't I, doctor?

Yeah, sure, you're going to be fine.

Get him inside.

Sign in and abandon hope, Dr. Kildare.

Looks like it might be a busy night, Mrs. Quill. There is no such thing as a

night that is not busy on this service, Doctor.

I've been here five years and I've lost my good youth, my good looks, my good

shape to prove it. I believe it.

Thanks. Admitting 102, who is the resident?

Doctor Cunningham is in surgery.

Hold it.

Get up, boy.

Patience. I thought I'd go to the nurse's cafeteria.

It'd be too horrible.

Oh. Oh, hi, John. How are you?

Fine. Now, what do you got there?

Man versus car. Probable concussion.

Number three's open, though. Oh, thank you.

We're in.

Got it all.

My husband likes me that way.

He doesn't like you anyway.

Mush out, Jenny. We're short in a while. I'm going to help with the next

patient. Mush.

Yes, doctor.

Better mush up to minus surgery, too. Hey, but I got a patient. No hay butts.

You're scrubbing, doctor.

Well, Kirsten's on surgical call. Kirsten and everybody else has got

call today. Red Tack, 32 -year -old, gravity of nine, eight and a half months

gone. Why isn't she in O .P.? She isn't in labor yet. She's got other problems.

Her ever -loving husband worked her over with a whiskey bottle after he drank

everything in it.

Sew her up before she goes upstairs to have a baby.

One day in her life would make a movie. Lovely.

A little pie -eyed, too.

Hey, but I've got a patient, Toby. We'll plug right up to here with red tags and

I've got to stand around arguing with an intern?

Where are you taking me?

Doctor, I'm all right. I don't need to be in here. Yeah, we just want to make

sure.

What's the matter with him?

I don't know. He almost passed out in the taxi. The driver brought him here.

Have you worked him up yet? Well, I took a look at him out in the car. Okay,

I'll take care of it.

Now what?

Emergency OR with him.

Redress. Redress. Where is he?

I'm off at four o 'clock. No, you aren't.

What am I going to tell my girl? They're very rare. So are you, doctor.

You should have left the building while you had a chance.

You should have hid like this appeared.

Like, shake a leg, doctors, kindly, shake a leg.

I will never understand residents.

I don't understand him, but I like him. And forgive him. For what?

For being a resident. Man, I'm so tired, I'm not going to live anyway.

So I might as well spend my last days on earth being charitable.

You know, this whole admitting service, it's insane.

Where do you put in six weeks like me? You are going to be so way out, Daddy,

you're going to be looking for a picture to hang whatever brains you get left

on. Man, it is the wildest. No, I mean maximum.

Where'd you learn that kind of talk? In the journal. Surgical and medical. Where

else?

Nosey, huh?

Yeah.

I'm Dr. Cunningham.

Feeling any better?

Yes, sir.

I don't know what happened to me.

Well, let's try and find out about that. Let's start with your name and address.

Parker.

Lewis Parker.

558 Andotte Street.

558. Yeah.

Take off your clothes, Mr. Parker, and tell me your initial.

J.

J for James.

How old are you?

Forty -six.

And Mike?

Are you what?

Going to be all right, doctor?

Sure. What's your occupation?

I am a carpenter.

Carpenter.

Let's live into this.

Thanks.

Hi.

Hi. Have you seen my husband around here lately?

I didn't know you had a husband.

Oh, yes.

Yeah? Yeah, a great big gorgeous son of a surgeon is going to buy me a drink,

dinner, and a movie. Well, he deserted you for the usual reason.

Watch it!

I can see that.

You should never have married him.

Bad?

Bad, bad, honey. Who opened the dykes?

Same jerk who opens them this time every month. I don't know his name, but he

dishes out all those checks on the 15th, and this is the 16th. Got it. Want a

divorce? How long you be?

Plenty of time for you to grab a bite and see a movie.

Then what?

And you and me against the world, baby.

All right, doctor, I'll be back.

They made a great one when they made you.

Don't go too far, doctor. There's another one on his way.

Oh, it never ends. It never ends.

What other one?

Your gravity nine's husband.

She stuck a barbecue fork in his leg.

What are you trying to do, cook him?

Has he had any premedication? It's happening even as we stand here, passing

time of day.

Give me a fix, Betsy, baby.

Think back.

I don't know how I stand it. I really don't know what keeps me going, you

It's just, there's no way out here. There's no letter. You got a dime?

Yeah.

Last week I had a date.

This girl.

She's waiting out in front of the hospital, in her own car, okay?

For two hours.

She asked me to go to her apartment for dinner. I go to her apartment, I walk

in, I kiss her, take a drink, and I fall asleep on the couch.

Before dinner.

Okay? Now, is that sad?

Mary.

I asked her what day it was, and she said December.

It's progress.

She said she stuck a fork in her husband's leg. True.

A long barbecue fork, Miss Cavanaugh. The only kind to use.

That's exactly my type of thinking. Who's resident on OB?

Dr. Patterson.

Well, make sure he knows about the scopolamine and morphine we used in

Now, I'm making a note of it, but you tell him personally.

Make clear now, Miss Cavanaugh. Yes, sir.

Aren't you carrying this doctor thing like a two -par man?

I didn't know you could do that, doctor.

Courteous, cautious, thorough. Dr. Goss would be proud.

Shut up.

Hey, wait a minute.

I was supposed to be at this girl's house over an hour ago.

I gotta phone her.

You know what I'm going to tell her? What?

I'll tell her my mother died.

Oh, that's low. My mother died.

Yes? John?

Yes. Now, when did he first complain of these symptoms?

Hey, doctors.

Hi.

As soon as I hang this up, we'll have some coffee.

I've got too much to do.

Oh, I wanted to talk to you about all my troubles, Jim.

I want to find out about a taxi cab patient I admitted.

He's in here being examined by Toby.

You mean you're going in there without being invited?

Yeah. You know, Dr.

Cunningham does not like being disturbed when he's with a patient.

He gets real touchy about it, Jim.

Well, I won't disturb him.

Hi. Hi.

Just look over my shoulder, Mr. Cunningham.

Okay.

Over my shoulder.

That's the wall.

What do you see back there, Doctor?

Nothing but goodness and light, Mr. Parkin.

How's our Grand Multi?

Beachy.

That's it. Relax.

On behalf of the resident admitting staff, I thank you.

You're welcome.

I feel fine now, Doctor.

Good for you.

Now, uh...

Bring your finger to your nose like this. Close your eyes. Bring them from

field. Close your eyes.

That's it.

Now the other one.

Good.

Relax. Relax.

Don't help me.

You used to play third base, Mr. Parker.

Okay, Mr. Parker, you can put your clothes on.

You mean I don't have to stay here? I mean, I'm not keeping you here.

I sometimes find interns more interesting than patients.

I know you have a curiosity about all the recondite sciences, Doctor, but...

What I don't know is why the inquiring young intern chooses to witness a simple

neurological examination.

I'm interested in this case.

Why?

I'm interested in knowing what interests you about this particular case.

I don't know exactly, Toby. It's that you're letting him go, I guess.

That's it?

Part of it.

Before we get around to whatever other part there is, may I remind you that I

reserve the right to admit patients or not to admit them?

Now, do you doubt that I have the...

Simple ability and agility to examine a patient, praise the history and clinical

information, and arrive at a fairly accurate conclusion?

No, I didn't say that.

You implied it.

Toby, I... Doctor.

Always doctor on the floor, kiddo. There may be people listening.

Besides, it makes me feel real professional.

Well, did you find anything?

You saw CKG? Yeah. You read this? Yeah.

You know exactly what I found.

Same thing you'd find, same thing anybody would find.

No syncope, no seizure, or anything else abnormal, considering his neurological

background. Are you sure?

I'm sure that without a doubt you are the most miserable, bothersome intern

had to put up with in two and a half years on the admitting service.

Well, what about doing the lumbar puncture on him?

I excuse you, doctor, because you have professed an interest in internal

medicine. Well, why not?

No localizing signs, that's why.

But the sudden onset, the intermittent headaches, the questionable sore neck.

All right, maybe not an LP, but keep him for a skull series. It might show

something. I hope you're just kidding. Doctor, please tell me you're just

kidding. Look, our job is to admit patients who are in acute need of

surgical care, period.

All right, doctor.

You're the doctor.

You know I never make a mistake. Jim, player general, insures me up to 75 ,000

to prove it.

Have Mrs.

Quayle call the cafeteria and tell them that you and Simon and Gerson will be

having late supper.

Oh, Mr.

Parker. Yes.

I want you to go straight home, get a good night's rest, stay in bed tomorrow.

Before you leave, go up to the admitting desk and ask Mrs. Quayle to make an

appointment for you to come back in three days for general medicine.

You got that? All right, Doctor. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Goodbye.

Dr. Kildare.

Dr. Gillespie.

I intended to see you in my office.

However, as I understand it, you unleashed your Irish temper last night

patient named Robinson, George Robinson.

I guess I didn't handle that too well, Dr. Gillespie. Mr. Robinson complains,

correctly so, justifiably so, that not only were you angry and abusive, but

as well.

Dr. Gillespie, I... That you called him a jerk.

I did? You did.

Oh.

Your powers of invective seem limited.

I was in a hurry to admit a new patient.

Mr. Robinson hadn't even let me examine him.

Spare me the details, doctor.

May I say, sir, that my only objective was to get him up to his ward and treat

it as quickly as possible. I am not quarreling with your objective, doctor.

criticizing your method.

I feel I should remind you that the patient who has complaints about his

treatment very often takes those complaints to a lawyer, who in turn

to a court.

He hasn't initiated any legal action, as he said. Fortunately, Mr. Robinson did

not. Have you heard of the Code of Hammurabi?

I believe it involves... It was written in ancient Babylon 4 ,000 years before

Christ. Under that code, the surgeon who operated on a patient and cured him was

awarded 10 pieces of silver.

If the patient died, the surgeon would have both hands chopped off at the

The Code of Hammurabi may or may not have prevented injury.

but I think you'll agree with me that the doctor of those days would think

before he attempted surgery.

The courts today are inclined to fine for the patient who is apparently

not because of any negligence on the part of the doctor, but because they

often feel sorry for the patient.

Possibly a throwback to the hemorrhagic code.

Dr. Gillespie... So we must be more careful than ever in the future, Dr.

Kildare. The patient who is complaining successfully...

about an injury at the hand of a doctor today is just as likely to complain

successfully about an insult tomorrow.

Do I make a point?

Yes, sir. Yes, Dr. Gillespie.

How long have you been terrorizing patients on 102?

I've been on admitting service six days now, sir. You find it a challenging

service? Yes, sir.

Dr. Cunningham is your resident?

Yes, he is. I assume that he is exposing you to the surgical side of the

admitting service. Yes, doctor.

Very aneurysm.

Lieberstein wrote a paper on it in last month's neurological journal. Seventy

-five operated cases. Much more up -to -date than that.

Good evening, Doctor.

Good evening, sir.

Nurses are married.

They're married or they're going to get married.

The student nurses, they still got boyfriends left over from high school.

The secretaries.

Quote, all interns are jerks.

My nurse is eight.

Kelly's pool hall.

Yeah.

Pardon me. Anybody here in admitting?

How did you guess?

Psychic.

Someday I'm going to beat that thing.

We had a redhead.

A volunteer worker up on GYN.

So right away, man, we had something going. I mean, like paradise fell big.

You know what happened? Some wise guy throws a seizure while she's changing a

bed. She faints and never comes back.

See, what I'm getting at, Phil Dan. Yeah, well, what are you getting at, Dr.

Gersky? The viscera of the whole problem. Oh, well, I mean, tell us all

it. I'm not talking to you.

Oh. Look,

an intern makes what? Sixty -five little dinky dollars a month, right?

And for this, she has to work every day, every other night, plus twice a week in

admitting. Right? Now, the question is, what kind of girls are left for us? What

kind are left for us, Dr. Agursky?

Piglets. Piglets.

Spooks. That's what's left for us.

There must be, let's say, a million people out there in that city, right?

All right, let's say out of that million people, there's 400 ,000 females.

All right?

I mean, right or wrong? 400 ,000. All right, more or less. Now, out of that

,000, let's say 14 ,000.

Are agreeable young ladies. Yeah?

What I mean is agreeable young ladies with all the standard

equipment.

Sixty -nine interns in Blair General Hospital, right?

Can you guys just name me one miserable body mechanic that can claim stake to

any one of those 14 ,000 agreeable ladies I was talking about, huh?

Nope. Listen, Simon, you having trouble with women?

Find another job.

I like it here.

Look, when I become a psychiatrist, you can be my first patient. Anything I

hate. It's a bunch of interns loafing around doing nothing all day. You and

are. You, police officer wants a doctor and an ambulance.

He was dead when we got here, Doctor, but we have to have a verification.

You're from Blair General, aren't you?

Yes.

Look at you.

You're here now, all right.

Came running right over when it's too late.

Doctor, this is Mrs. Fife.

She's the man's sister.

That's my brother lying there.

I'm going to see that he gets treated fair now.

If you had done your job this afternoon when he was brought to your sick in

hospital, it wouldn't have happened.

All right, yes.

Would you close the door, please?

Yes, sir.

. .

Sir, Parker Lewis J. P -A -R -K -E -R. Never mind. We've got the information on

him at the hospital.

Thank you, Doctor.

Who's the boy, Father?

His nephew.

What was the doctor?

It's hard to say without an autopsy.

Is there a phone? Yes, right out in the hall.

All nice and tidy, huh?

Well, let me tell you, it isn't nice and tidy at all, Buster.

And you can tell whoever runs that joint over there that they're going to be

sued and sued plenty.

I don't lose my brother like this without doing nothing.

I'm going to see a lawyer.

I'd like your consent for a post -mortem examination, Mrs. Fyfe.

Well, you go right ahead. I want to know what killed him, too.

Anyway, it can't hurt him anymore.

Would you tell the attendants they can move him?

Sure, Doctor.

May God, if he's by mercy, assist you with faith and resignation, my dear.

102, please.

This is Dr. Kildare.

I just certified a death at 558 Andotte Street.

A 46 -year -old male Caucasian.

Louis J. Parker.

That's P -A -R -K -E -R.

Time, 11 .05 p .m.

No. No, I'm not going to leave him with his family.

I'm bringing him in for a post -mortem.

Miss Goyer?

Hello, Doctor.

Look, hospitals are full of surprises.

One minute we're so busy you think we were giving away money. Next minute,

nothing. Oh, Dr. Cunningham wants to see you.

Where is he?

Still in O .R.

Big incision, little surgeon, little incision.

Good surgeon, enough incision.

Bad surgeon, indecision.

Are your shoes conductive, doctor?

Yes.

Got any blood lined up for this guy?

Huh?

You got two units, you want?

No, not now.

What's the call about, Jim? It was a fatality.

It usually is when the police request a doctor with an ambulance.

You got any of that blue relaxin' juice in your bag of tricks?

Oh, I sure do, Doctor.

Let's have a little relaxation up here, huh?

You got it.

Well, go on, Jim. What about it? Did you make out a 562 for him? Yeah.

Lay them down square, please.

How's that, Doctor?

Oh, he's floating in orbit, Doctor.

And the cause of death, Doctor Kildare?

Acute cardiac decompensation probable.

Probable? Yes.

Is that your professional opinion, doctor?

Yes, it is. It's an unclear professional opinion, doctor. I know.

And there you have it, gentlemen.

A simple peptic ulcer in all its perforated glory.

It's pretty.

Hey, that's a keen one.

A real classic beaut. And you also have the opportunity of sewing them up.

We'll use two old skin cell cutting.

Male,

female, one.

Male.

The patient was Louis J. Parker.

We'll use a straight -skinned needle.

Louis J. Parker. I examined that guy.

Right, Doctor.

That's it. And cut them off about a half an inch. Yes, sir. He was in here this

afternoon.

And his lawyer's going to be in here tomorrow morning.

Says who?

Mrs. Fyfe.

Who's she?

Parker's sister.

Well, that puts the hair in the butter.

Eh, Doctor?

As they say, it does that.

Come on, Philip.

I don't suppose the mortuary clerk will have any difficulty obtaining a consent

from Mrs. Fife for a post -mortem? I don't suppose.

Just approximate the edges, will you please, Doctor?

Before you leave tonight,

Fill out an order for an autopsy. I'll sign it as soon as I'm through here.

Wake him up.

Tell him he's cured.

All right, Jim. Just some sleep.

Don't feel like it. Well, let's get a beer.

16 hours a day and this nutty

service is not enough for you, right, pal?

Well, it's plenty for me.

It's plenty for everybody.

Why don't you?

What? Get some sleep.

But I can't sleep.

It takes me four or five hours to unwind.

Then it takes me two hours to relax.

By the time I get my eyes closed, bingo, the phone goes and we're off again.

Jim?

Great.

Oh, hi, Toby.

Sit down.

I've worked at...

18 straight hours today, and I'm a tired man.

I want to go home. I want to be with my wife.

And I want to forget about that place over there for a while.

But I won't sleep tonight till I find out what you meant by the tone of voice

you were using in O .R.

Explain. It's very important.

I'd rather not commit myself, Toby.

Listen, what are we... Oh, no, stay where you are, gentlemen. This is a

conversation in a saloon.

I want you to commit yourself in front of Dr. Gerson and Dr. Gersky.

I want you to commit yourself, Dr.

Kildare, prior to and uninfluenced by the findings of the autopsy surgeon,

whatever they may be.

Go on.

Please, let's have no secrets here. These are our colleagues.

Come right out with it. Bare your soul.

I have a rough idea of how Mrs.

Fythe and her lawyer will appraise my professional capabilities in a

should it come to that.

But right now, I'm interested in what you think.

I think you don't allow an unfortunate situation to exist when you can rectify

it. We're still talking about Parker?

We are.

Go on.

I think he should have been admitted for further tests.

I told you then, I'm telling you now.

There's rarely a sole and universally recognized treatment for any case.

There's always room for a difference of medical opinion.

These are occasions requiring the exercise of judgment in deciding what

to follow.

The fact that you and I had a difference of opinion regarding what method to

follow constitutes nothing more than that.

We are talking about a difference of medical opinion.

We're talking about a man who walked out of that hospital this afternoon on your

say -so.

Now he's dead.

That's it?

You take chances, boy, not only with my career, but your own.

Look, Toby, I'm not interested in discussing it here.

Well, you get interested, you...

Up to a minute ago, you were talking to me.

Now you're talking to the resident.

I've been called everything, but I won't be called negligent.

This is the second time today you've intimidated me, but it's the first and

time I warn you about it.

Hi.

Hi.

Uh, you know these jokers, Dr. Gersky, Dr.

Kildare? Yes.

As you can get.

It's good to have you home.

I'm not home. You will be in a half an hour.

And I'll be with you.

Something wrong?

Oh, no.

Nothing that can't be fixed.

I made a mistake about this guy, honey.

He's no friend of ours. Don't treat him like one ever.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Come on.

What are you, out of your mind?

You must be out of your mind.

You're tired, Jim.

He's tired.

We're all tired.

You didn't mean that.

You know what we need, don't you?

Supportive therapy. That's what we need.

Come on. You ever try intravenous beer?

Simon.

Simon, will you shut up?

Please, just this one time.

Shut up.

Drink your beer.

Go ahead, Jim.

Come on, Jim.

Dr. Kildare?

I'll... I'll be over in a minute.

Sure, Jim.

I don't think Toby meant what he said last night.

I don't think he meant it either.

He gets angry like anybody else.

Like you.

Did he tell you what it was all about?

Yes.

Then you know it wasn't a matter of being angry, Mrs. Cunningham.

Doctor, please.

Please listen to me. I want very much to talk to you.

I wish yesterday hadn't happened, Mrs. Cunningham. They called him first thing

this morning from the administration office. They advised him a suit was

contemplated and that he was legally responsible, being resident and all, and

that they were notifying the insurance company.

Contemplated?

What does that mean? What happens?

Well, we wait, doctor.

We wait for the pathologist's report. We wait for the lawyers. We wait for God

knows what.

Doesn't it seem to you that...

Then all we do is wait.

We wait to get into medical school and then we wait to graduate.

And then internship and residency.

And finally practice.

Well, Toby and I have been married through all of that and we thought it

going to end next year.

Next year?

Next year, Doctor. The year.

His residency will be over in June and he can...

Be in practice and we can live like normal human beings.

Now, Doctor, they're going to want to know everything about the man who

died.

And you signed the death certificate.

Well, they're going to want to know everything you know.

Mrs. Cunningham, I can't.

Please, Doctor, help him.

Please don't ruin him.

He was in an auto accident. He was brought in here this morning.

Well, he's conscious, but he may require surgery.

Oh, Dr.

Cadet, you are wanted in Dr. Gillespie's office.

No, we don't know yet.

He asked if you could bring some money to pay his ambulance bill.

No, he has nothing with him.

No, no checks either.

I don't know. I assume he'll pay you back as soon as he can.

No, I cannot ask him, and I suggest you get down here right away.

Hi, Susan. Hi, Dr. Kildare. Dr. Gillespie is expecting you. Yeah, I

Dr. Kildare is on his way in, Dr. Gillespie.

those people out there?

I met Mrs. Fife last night, Dr. Gillespie. So I understand. The man with

her attorney. His name is Darcy. I want to adjudicate this matter as quickly as

possible, and I'm sure Mrs. Fife and Mr. Darcy want to also.

In order to accomplish this, I must know all the circumstances.

Disregard the fact that you are friendly with Dr. Cunningham.

Sit down.

I understand you advised Dr. Cunningham to admit Mr. Parker for hospitalization.

Dr. Cunningham is as anxious as I am to have all the facts.

Good.

Some doctors do things one way and some another. It's impossible to say which is

preferable. There's always a chance for a slight difference of opinion.

Granted?

Granted. Why did you advise Dr. Cunningham to admit Parker for

I felt Mr. Parker was very ill, Dr. Gillespie.

Much more than... More than Dr.

Cunningham's examination disclosed?

Yes, Doctor.

In this hospital, we think, Doctor.

We do little, if any, feeling.

Well, I couldn't help the feeling.

I mean, some patients you just know are sick just by looking at them. Is that

so? It is with me.

And in Parker's case, what else?

What other reasons, Doctor?

Everything about him. His pallor.

The way he responded. The look in his eyes.

The look in his eyes? You did say that?

Yes.

A most impressive diagnostic observation, Doctor. But am I supposed

appreciate your commitment to this vision?

No, sir.

You wanted Parker admitted for tests.

What tests?

An LP.

Possible skull series.

You mentioned this to Dr. Cunningham. I did.

And what did you hope to accomplish by poking a long needle into Mr.

Parker? What do you suppose that would have done for his headaches, his nausea,

the look in his eyes?

Answer me.

I had hoped that such an exploration would produce some information

the patient's ailment.

A lumbar puncture or skull series on a man with a nervous history like this

might well have traumatized him, if not scared him to death.

Diagnostic techniques can be extraordinary on paper or in the minds

diagnosticians. They are occasionally useful in the practice of medicine, but

their use is irrevocably dictated by localizing signs, and this was not the

here. I'm certain Dr. Cunningham advised you accordingly.

Did he?

He did.

And that is the substance of your unsolicited consultation with Dr.

Yes, sir.

Based on nothing but feeling, you came to the same hysterical conclusion as

hysterical woman out there.

That Dr. Cunningham was at fault and that if Mr. Parker had been admitted to

hospital, he would still be alive.

Well, I'm going to tell you, Dr. Kildare, that hysterical women aren't

dangerous as doctors.

The precipitating cause of most malpractice actions is found in the

comments and criticisms by physicians about other physicians regarding their

treatment of patients.

Dr. Cunningham examined this patient, listened to his complaints, ordered lab

tests, EKG, gave him a physical examination, tested him for neurological

responses. It's all here.

With this, he had a reasonable basis for diagnosis.

And he wisely ignored your unsolicited consultation and acted according to the

best dictates of his own professional conscience.

Now. Is there any sound or valid reason to suspect malpractice, regardless of

the pathology report?

Is there, Doctor?

No.

We're still waiting for that report. In the meantime, I'm going to tell Faith

and Darcy exactly that.

And they can prefer charges against Dr. Cunningham if they wish. Fat chance.

Yes, Doctor.

After teaching rounds...

All interns and residents on admitting service 102 to report in boardroom B.

Get the residents on surgical service to stand in for them.

I'm sure Dr. Cunningham would be relieved to know the attitude of this

I leave it to you to tell him.

That's all, Doctor.

Send Mrs. Fife and Mr. Darcy in here, will you?

Put her in female 15. They're all jammed up in the open ward. So no drugs for

this baby. She's a VA.

Fine. What about a sedative?

Not now. She'll be needing them later on badly, but not now.

Hey, Toby.

You want something, Doctor?

I've been with Gillespie.

Sure you have. Did you tell him everything?

Yeah.

No link back?

Okay, that's okay.

I want to make sure about that.

Since Mrs. Cunningham asked you not to commit yourself on the matter because of

what it might do to my career.

Right?

Right.

Well, I had a good fight with Mrs. Cunningham. A real tit when I found out

went to see you.

I love my job. I love my wife, Kildare. She's a swell kid.

But she'll never play third base on my baseball club if I ever have one. Any

more than I better scrub in my O .R., which I do have.

You get me?

Get you.

Hey, Toby.

What? Gillespie wanted me to tell you you're off the hook.

I was never on the hook, Kildare.

Yeah, I know.

How wrong can a guy be?

I just didn't think it through, Toby. You sure didn't, but I suppose the PM

report opened your eyes. No, I haven't seen it.

Well, it's not ready yet.

You haven't?

Well, well.

Well.

Dr. Kildare.

I know you said whatever is ethical and professional up there.

Notwithstanding my wife's tears and your own fears. If you hadn't, you wouldn't

be the kind of doctor I think you are.

I was scared, all right.

Right down inside my gut.

And every guy with an M .D.

Wondering when they walk in the door or look up at you from the bed.

Is this the one? Is this the one that's going to haul me into court?

I know what you mean, Toby.

Pardon me.

Get that door.

You may smoke.

I am glad to announce that this hospital and one of its resident surgeons will

not be sued for malpractice. I am not glad to announce that this was

contemplated. Luckily, the attorney was aware of the fact that the courts admit

that the physician is not a warranty of cures.

God help us all if failure to cure were admitted as evidence in court.

Evidence of neglect on the part of a physician or surgeon causing a bad

If that were the case, few of us would be in the healing profession.

But since this has come up, it's a good time to remind you that malpractice

doesn't mean a doctor's failure to render the best.

possible care to a patient. It doesn't mean an honest error in diagnosis.

It doesn't mean failure to cure or to produce satisfactory relief.

Malpractice simply means a doctor's failure to apply average skill and take

average precautions in rendering his professional service.

If he provides such middle ground variety of care, he cannot be legally

no matter whether the patient gets well or gets sicker, lives or dies.

We're stuck with that, ladies and gentlemen, until such time as the public

realizes that the doctor is not infallible. As long as medicine is

human beings on human beings, accidents will occur.

We've eliminated the pink pill notion. We have sulfurs and antibiotics, steroid

hormones. We can operate on the heart and brain for diseases that were once

incurable. And the public knows it.

They know for some obscure reason that the doctor can work 24 hours a day,

days a week, that he can whip epidemics single -handed, perform major surgery on

a kitchen table, and is always kind, generous, and considerate.

They believe, and some of us believe, that the doctor is a miracle worker. No

wonder they get mad when some doctor takes away their dream.

They go off to a lawyer hoping to get it back. And if they fail to get the dream

back, they want the doctor's hide. So, every one of you, watch out for your own

hides as well as your patient's hide.

Real negligence, real malpractice can be solved not by lawsuits, but by

selecting and training better doctors and driving the bad men out of medicine.

Every one of you is morally and professionally obligated by everything

believe sacred.

To correct, to report, to expose.

Incompetence, negligence, malpractice.

That's all, ladies and gentlemen.

Uh, Dr. Cunningham.

Dr. Kildare.

What do you know about a leaking berry aneurysm, Dr. Kildare?

It's a neurological disorder characterized by minute, nonspecific

symptoms. Or no symptoms at all?

Well, yes.

A patient can go on his life without a symptom and have it as an incidental

finding at autopsy. And the prognosis if it becomes acutely symptomatic?

Very bad.

Not hopeless, but bad. Is that what you mean?

Yes, doctor.

Ever treated a Barry aneurysm, Dr. Cunningham?

No, sir, I haven't.

Dr. Kildare?

No, sir.

Ever suspected one?

Yes, sir. When?

Yesterday. Parker?

Yes, sir.

On what basis?

Well, the symptoms were... Parker's symptoms could have indicated a thousand

ailments.

Say it.

Well, the patient just looked sick to me, doctor.

You mean you felt he was sick, Dr. Kildare?

Something like that, I guess, yes.

This is the pathologist's report.

Mr. Parker died of a leaking baryaneurysm, and it would have taken

LP or a skull series to detect it, Dr. Kildare.

It's a surety that in or out of hospital, Mr. Parker wouldn't have lived

moment longer than he did.

But...

Wherever your career takes you, Dr. Kildare, don't ever stop searching for

look in your patients.

It may be the most precious service you can render them.

Good day, gentlemen.

Thank you.