The Doctor and the Devils Page #3

Put them out of their misery, Mr. Fallon,

That's what the major said to me.

For God's sake, Fallon, wait.

Let's take, let's take.

There's nothing we can do for these poor

boys, except save them from further pain.

That's what the surgeon said.

And here's Daniel,

all alone in the world.

Huh? Not a soul...

...and this terrible coughing.

It's an act of kindness

we're doing him, Broom.

Is he dead?

You better try him.

- He's dead.

- And fresh, Broom.

Fresh as new moon hay.

Come on, open up, eh?

Come on, come on.

Come in. Walk quiet.

No, walk quiet, Broom, eh?

Oh, it's a blessing

we've given him, huh?

And he's fresh, Fallon.

Pay them.

Seven.

- Who are they, Tom?

- Uh, this one's...

- I'm Robert Fallon, sir.

- Broom, sir.

This is the best material

I've had in years.

Son of God, hear me.

Deliver from evil my brother Thomas.

Deliver him from evil company.

Help him to heal with hands

in God's service

and let not those hands

be used in foulness,

for the sake of what the Devil

has made him think is progress.

Thank you for coming.

It is not often remarked on

that it was Herophilos

who first traced the arachnoid membrane

into the ventricles of the brain.

What is known, however,

and what I have told you

repeatedly in these lectures...

And so, gentlemen, once again,

I am forced to apologize.

As you know, I've long since passed my quota

of subjects delivered by the hangman.

And so, today we will have

to make do with the carcass of a sheep.

Frederick.

- Sir?

- Identify.

- Kidney, sir.

Function?

To separate from the blood

certain impure materials,

which when dissolved in a quantity of water,

also separated by the kidneys

from the blood,

constitute the urine

in the human organism.

Excellent.

Except for one minor detail...

not in the human organism,

but in the organism of the...

' Sheep!

Laughter)

Let us now, gentlemen, reaffirm our creed.

The study of anatomy is absolutely vital...

And, of course, sir, he said

they were the kidneys of a sheep.

A sheep?

How dare he?

He makes a laughingstock

of the whole medical profession.

He's a pernicious influence, pernicious.

A corrupter of youth! Thank you, Cronin,

for bringing this to my attention.

I shall go to all his lectures, sir,

and report back to you.

Yes, yes, the man must be stopped.

I shall put these... sheep's kidneys

before the medical faculty in the morning.

I shall confront them

with the incontrovertible proof

that Dr. Thomas Rock

has access to bodies

that do not come from the hangman.

Legally, the hangman is our one provider,

but he'd have to hang all the liars in the city

and all the men that are unfaithful to their wives

before there'd be sufficient subjects for us.

You make our city

sound like Sodom and Gomorrah.

If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I must

try to brave this terrible city at night.

If you dislike the law

that applies to your own science,

why did you become an anatomist

rather than anything else?

There was more body to it.

We can use a pint now, lord.

Look at Jennie Bailey, the lady,

drinking with a doctor.

I'd like to put my nails in her eyes.

Why can't we meet

in another place sometimes, Jennie?

Anywhere else but this damn tavern with

all the sluts and drunks staring at us?

- You know you can come back with me.

- And you know that I won't.

I can't.

Don't you understand,

I couldn't go back there.

Not there to that house.

I don't want to think about the others

and your smiling at them

and letting them...

The others don't mean a thing in the wide world.

They're different. I'm for you.

Come back now.

I'll tell Rosie that you're staying and...

- No.

No, Jennie, please.

Oh, you're beautiful.

Come away.

Come away from everything here.

Oh, a fine young doctor's lady I'd make.

Oh, from what part

do you come, Mrs. Murray?

Oh, number three Pig's Yard.

Your husband used to call on Wednesdays.

There. You're doing well. That's a boy.

Hello, Billy.

I think you're well enough

to go home now, Billy.

Tom will get you a cab. It's too cold

to be running about in the streets.

Here's a present for you, boy.

- Hey.

Now, hold it in your hand.

Don't lose it.

Thank you.

And now he'll hurry as fast as he can

on his bent bones to the nearest tavern

and fuddle his few poor wits

and crack his crazed little jokes,

half remembered from the cradle.

Oh, how the pious

would lift their hands to heaven

to think of a man giving money to an idiot

so that he could get drunk

and be warm and happy

for an hour or two.

d Thinking of past glad hours d

d Just breathe my name

to the woodlands d

d Sigh what your heart would say d

d I know I shall hear

your message, dear d

d Born on the breeze away d

d O winds that blow from the south d

d Sighing so soft and low d

d Whisper your secret sweet d

d Whisper and I shall know d

d Winds that blow from the south d

d Breathe in my listening ear d

d Come from the heart of my love d

d Whisper and I shall hear N'

- Lovely, Jen, lovely.

- Good girl.

Enter.

A urgent message for Dr. Rock

from the Faculty of Medicine, sir.

Thank you.

What do the Board want to talk to you

about this time?

Dr. Rock, would you please

identify the contents of this jar.

Kidneys, sir.

Kidneys.

From the size I would say male kidneys,

weighing approximately six ounces.

From what animal?

- The human animal.

- Do these kidneys belong to you?

- Yes and no.

- What do you mean by that?

I mean that they belong to me,

but they're not mine. I keep mine here.

Yes, I take your point, Dr. Rock.

But may I remind you that these specimens

were used by you in a lecture

and described as sheep's kidneys.

- Yes.

- Why?

Why did you not describe them correctly?

Why did you resort to deceit?

Well, I would've thought

that it was self-evident,

since my quota of subjects

from the hangman has long since run out.

If I am to continue my work,

human bodies

must be obtained illegally.

So you admit it?

You admit that you break the law.

I admit to breaking any law

that inhibits the progress of science.

Dr. Rock, do you also admit to condoning

the removal of bodies from consecrated earth?

And by dissecting them,

prevent their resurrection

whole and perfect on Judgment Day,

as decreed by Jesus Christ?

Dr. Mackendrick, do you really believe

that all the poor devils blown to bits

on all the battlefields

in all the senseless wars,

since the beginning of time,

will be barred from entering

the Kingdom of Heaven

because their limbs cannot be found?

I cannot believe your God

can be so cruel.

Why are you being facetious, sir?

I, too, sir, am in the business of anatomy,

but I acquire my knowledge

professionally, not by breaking the law.

The law be damned!

The law is not only ridiculous, it's obsolete.

We have to drag anatomy and medicine out

of the dark ages into the 19th Century for...

We are scientists, for God's sake,

not self-serving model hypocrites

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