Gunsmoke (1955) s04e24 Episode Script

Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Hello, Mrs.
Crummley.
Is Doc here? He's here.
Oh, I see.
With a patient, huh? My husband.
Oh? He's been here since yesterday, Marshal.
Well, I didn't know that.
Joe took sick in the night.
I had to drive him into town in the night.
Oh, I'm sorry.
How is he? I don't know.
Except that he he's still unconscious.
Oh, well, that's too bad.
Doc? I knew he was going to die.
I knew it.
There just wasn't very much anybody could do for him, Mrs.
Crummley.
You tried hard, Doc.
Maybe you'd like to sit down, Mrs.
Crummley? No.
l I'd like to go in and sit by him for a little while.
You sure can.
What was it, Doc? Oh, contraction of the ileum.
Adhesions.
Couldn't operate, huh? Yeah, but he never did have a chance.
I never saw a worse infection in my life.
If I could've just had him here sooner, l Yeah, it's too bad.
You know, they were having a pretty tough time as it was on that homestead of theirs.
Yeah, I know they were.
Confound it, he didn't have to die.
It wasn't your fault, Doc.
Well, then whose fault was it? Now, you're not making much sense.
Well, I'm making sense to me.
You know, what I think you need is a good drink.
I know what I need.
Well Doc, look, l I just stopped up to tell you that Chester and I will be headed out for Ford Larned.
We'll be gone about a week.
Well, then go on.
Get on your horse and go to Fort Larned, or wherever you're going.
Oh, Matt? Yeah? Well, I'll talk to you when you get back.
Sure, Doc.
Well, it sure is good to get back to Dodge.
Ain't it, Mr.
Dillon? Yeah.
I guess nobody's torn the town apart yet.
Marshal Dillon? Yes, sir.
My name is Betchel, Marshal.
Jameson Betchel.
How do you do? This is Chester Goode here.
- Chester.
- How are you? Well, I'd been by before, but you must've been away, Marshal.
What can I do for you? Why, nothing, sir.
I only wanted to meet you.
I've been trying to get acquainted.
You know how it is when you first move into a new town.
Are you going to start some kind of a business, are you, Mr.
Betchel? Well, not exactly, Chester.
I'm a I'm a professional man.
Oh.
That's my office right next to the dry goods store.
I just had the sign painted yesterday.
Are you a doctor? Yes, that's right.
I'm a doctor.
We already got a doctor.
Well, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure meeting you both.
I wouldn't mind to buy you a drink the next time we meet.
Hmm.
I wonder what we're going to do with two doctors.
I don't know, Chester.
Doc, ain't there nothing you can do for my back? What's the matter now? It's killing me again.
Why don't you stay off your feet like I told you? That's kind of hard to do when I'm working, Doc.
Well, if you won't take my advice, how do you expect me to help you? - I'm glad to see you back.
- Hello, Kitty.
Sit down.
I want to talk to you a minute.
All right.
Well, what's the trouble? It's Doc.
He's in a terrible mood.
Oh, yeah? You know, he took Joe Crummley's dying pretty hard, Kitty.
- That's just part of it.
- What do you mean? Well, this new Dr.
Betchel Doc's losing patients to him.
He is? I shouldn't think he'd mind that.
He's always complaining about being overworked.
That may be.
All I know is, he's getting mighty hard to get along with.
Huh.
Good evening, Doctor.
I took a chance on finding you here.
I, uh, want to talk things over with you again.
I think I made it clear that I didn't want to talk to you.
You make it difficult, Doctor.
Now, look, we've got to settle this.
We're just wasting time till we do.
We are? Of course.
Now, wait, Doc, we've got to talk about this again.
Oh, we do, huh? All right.
Matt? Oh, Matt? Well, now what are you doing? If you're going to talk, you're going to have to have somebody to listen.
Matt, Betchel here wants to talk.
Go on, talk, Betchel.
I don't know why he brought you over here, Marshal.
But, well, it's about my practicing here.
What you got in mind? So, my idea was to split the practice in a friendly way, and then we'd both still have more than enough work.
That's all there was to it, Marshal.
No, it isn't.
Go on, tell him the rest of it.
Well, the rest of it isn't important.
It only concerns business arrangements between us.
Marshal, since we'll be giving better service and all, it's only fair that we get paid for it.
Don't you agree? There's nothing wrong with a doctor trying to make a decent living, is there? No decent doctor needs to charge any more than I do.
You're not being realistic, Adams.
Realistic, huh? People pay more than they can afford or stay sick.
Is that it? What about the Hippocratic Oath.
Did you ever hear of it? I doubt it.
Let me tell you something.
It took me an awful long time to get those letters "M.
D.
" after my name, and I'm mighty proud of it.
And nobody like you is every going to change me.
You tinhorn.
- Tinhorn? Now, listen - Hold on a second, Doctor.
Nobody's going to call me a name like that, Marshal.
Now, look, I don't know what's gotten into Doc, but I'll find out.
You just take it easy.
Seems to me you were kind of hard on him, weren't you, Doc? Hard on him? You heard what he said.
I wouldn't trust him to doctor a sick mule.
Hello there, Cullen.
Hello, Marshal.
Cullen, here, here, wait a minute.
How is your ma? She's fine.
I'm glad you asked.
She feels good, awful good.
She's 80 years old, Marshal.
Yes, I know.
I guess I ought to tell you, Doc What? Tell me what? About the new doc.
His treating ma was making her feel so good.
I thought you'd be glad to know.
Well, yes, I'm glad to know your ma is feeling so good.
But, Cullen, l I've been treating her for a good many years now, and I'd feel awful bad about it if she didn't get the proper care.
Well, we just figured to make a change, is all.
So So, I told you.
No hard feelings.
No.
No hard feelings.
Morning, Dr.
Betchel.
Well, good morning, Mr.
Cullen.
Come on in here, sir.
How is your mother today? She's all right, I guess.
But she sent me to ask if you could come out again today.
Why, certainly.
I'll just get my things together here.
It'll just take me a minute.
- Oh, there's old Jake Wirth.
- What's that? Jake Wirth, coming out of Doc Adams' office.
Doc's with him, too.
Who's Jake Wirth, Mr.
Cullen? About the richest cattle man in Kansas, is all.
Is that so? Oh, he's got his boy in that wagon.
Must be ailing again.
His boy? Yeah, something's wrong with him.
Has been a long time.
Nobody never could cure him.
See over there? So, nobody can cure him, huh? No, but Jake still keeps bringing him around every once in a while.
To see Doc Adams? Sure, but it don't do no good.
Well, it seems a pity he wouldn't try another doctor, doesn't it? Well, Jake Wirth and Doc have been friends a long time.
Well, it's too bad, though, if friendship causes extra suffering.
Perhaps even results in someone not being totally cured.
Yeah.
Yeah, it sure is.
Oh, Mr.
Cullen, by the way, I just remembered I have something here in the office that I have to do before I go with you.
I'll wait.
Oh, no, there's no point in your waiting here, Mr.
Cullen.
This This office isn't the coolest place in town, you know.
As any doctor will tell you, the more fresh air you get, the better off you are.
It is kind of warm in here.
- I'll wait for you outside.
- All right, Mr.
Cullen.
Well, I'm glad to know you're getting plenty of rest, Andy.
That's, uh That's the best thing in the world for him, Jake.
Lots of rest.
You are, now, ain't you? Yes, sir.
All right.
I'll tell you, I'll, uh I'll give your pa some medicine for you, and then I'll come by in a couple of days, and we'll have a have a nice talk, all right? - Okay, Doc.
- Fine.
Doc? He's been that way over a year now.
Isn't he any better? Well, like I told you, Jake, he fell off the horse and cracked his head.
It's a miracle he even lived.
But he can't go on like this.
I can't even let him out of my sight.
I know, Jake.
And I'm I'm sorry.
There's just practically nothing I can do for him.
You see Well, we just don't know enough about things like this.
Maybe someday, but not yet.
Let's go up to the office.
- How are you, Mr.
Wirth? - Hello, Cullen.
I see your boy ain't improved none.
A pity.
Doc here is doing the best he can.
It'll work out, I guess.
This new doctor in town he's been helping my ma, and she's been suffering from the misery.
Dr.
Betchel he's an awful smart man.
Betchel, huh? Yeah, I've heard a lot of talk about him.
Dr.
Betchel says there's always something that can be done, just like for my ma.
Your ma's feeling better, huh, Cullen? Well, seems like.
Come on, Jake.
Let's go up to the office.
Now, wait a minute, Doc.
You really think he's helping your ma? Yeah.
Jake? Betchel can't help your boy any more than I can.
- Doc, you can't be certain.
- But I am certain! Well, at least he might be willing to try! Well, there's nothing to try, Jake.
Medicine just hasn't learned how to treat cases like your boy, I tell you.
You know, Doc, there's a lot of people saying you might be jealous of Dr.
Betchel.
- Jealous?! - That's the talk.
Dr.
Betchel says sometimes doctors get kind of rusty like.
They don't learn new things like they should ought to.
He says they get old-fashioned.
I'm sorry, Mr.
Cullen, I was so long, but I think we're ready to go to your mother's now.
This here is Dr.
Betchel.
I'm Jake Wirth.
Well, how do you do, sir? Well, shall we go? Uh, Dr.
Betchel? Yes, sir? I got an awful sick boy here, Doctor.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that, sir.
Doc here has been taking care of him, but it seems like there's nothing more he can do.
He ain't very well, Doctor.
There's always something that can be done for any patient, Mr.
Wirth.
Jake? Now, you listen to me.
You and I have been friends for an awful time.
And I just wouldn't tell you something that wasn't true.
You know that.
And if I thought that man could help your boy, I'd be the first one to say so.
But he can't.
Believe me.
Dr.
Betchel, I want you to help my boy.
All right, Mr.
Wirth.
Since you've asked me to come on the case, I'll do all that I can.
Now, my office is right down there.
I'll examine the boy first, and then we'll start the treatment in a day or so.
All right, I'll take that wagon over.
Good.
Good, I'll go on ahead.
Ain't we going out to see Ma? Well, of course, Cullen as soon as I finish with Mr.
Wirth.
I'm sorry, Doc, but sometimes a man's got to forget friendships.
Well, what did you find out? Well, Mr.
Dillon, nobody's seen hide nor hair of him since yesterday afternoon.
You don't Doc would do anything silly, like, uh I mean, like up and quitting, do you? Well, no, of course not.
He wouldn't do a thing like that.
Well, how do you figure his sign being down, then? - Huh? - Yeah.
It was just laying right there on the boardwalk.
Uh, it was, anyway.
I picked it up, and I just kind of tacked it back up on the wall.
Oh, I don't trust myself out on that street.
What's the matter? I'm going to start slapping a few faces around this town.
I just heard that Mrs.
Enders, or whatever her name is, and some other woman talking.
She said that she thought it was just fine that there was a new doctor in town.
Well, I know, Kitty, but Listen, that woman's had six kids, and Doc has delivered every single one of them.
And he's seen them through scarlet fever and measles and whooping cough and typhoid fever and everything else that's come along.
And I bet you all he's ever gotten out of it is well, maybe a bunch of carrots.
Well, it sure is enough to make you mad, all right.
Now, wait a minute.
Don't let's get mad.
I think Doc's probably mad enough for all of us anyway.
You bet he's mad.
And what's more important, he's hurt.
- I want to know where he is.
- Kitty, just take it easy.
I'm going to go out and look for him myself right now.
Besides, I got an idea of where he's probably at anyway.
Well, you kind of had us worried, Doc.
Who? Oh, me and Kitty.
Chester.
- Chester? - Yep.
Well, that could be serious.
Yeah.
I should've known this is where I'd find you, though.
Why? Well, that big catfish.
He got off your line three times already this year.
I didn't figure you would be the kind to quit.
Well, seems like you're enjoying yourself.
I am.
Why shouldn't I be? No reason.
Well, stop that.
How am I going to catch any fish with you splashing around the water with rocks? I guess you didn't hear about Mrs.
Cullen, did you? No.
Yeah.
Well, she died today.
Well, I'm sorry to hear it.
Doc Betchel figured what she needed was a good bleeding.
Bleeding? That old lady? Well, she couldn't stand that.
Well, he bled her three times.
Earlier this morning, she sent her son looking for you.
For me? Well, an awful lot of good that would have done.
I couldn't have done anything.
At that point, I couldn't.
I couldn't have helped her none then.
When are you coming back to town? I don't know.
Why? Oh, I was just wondering, you know, about Jake Wirth's boy.
Well, that's not my case, either.
I know it isn't, Doc.
But, you know, at least if you were in town, people would know where to find you and so forth.
There's a lot of folks seem to think you quit.
Well, I didn't quit.
Yeah, well, your sign was down.
Of course, it's back up now.
Chester put it up.
What's the matter? You through fishing? Yeah, I am for now.
Well, hold on a minute.
I'll walk along with you.
Got the bucket, Mr.
Wirth? - Yeah, I'm coming, Doc.
- Good.
Thanks.
Put it right down.
It's mighty cold out here tonight.
That's the way we want it.
It's just just right.
You want the boy out here now? Just Just a minute.
You sure this is going to work? Oh, it'll work.
Of course, this is just part of the treatment, Mr.
Wirth.
What else are you going to do? No more tonight.
I'll explain the rest to you tomorrow.
Well, should we get Andy out here now? Well, all right.
Good.
Andy, are you ready? It's cold.
Right over here, Andy.
This won't take long.
Come on, son.
Let's get this over with.
Come on over here, Andy.
Now, come on.
You just lie down there, like I told you inside.
A little cold never hurt a man, did it? Especially when it's going to make you well and strong, boy.
All right, now.
That's a boy.
Easy, now.
Easy.
That's right.
Now, you just just lie back.
That's it, now.
All right.
Now, you close your eyes.
Hold your breath.
Aah! Aah! Stop! That's enough! Patience, man.
Patience.
I don't want any more of this.
Now, wait just a minute, Mr.
Wirth.
That's that way we want it.
That's the best thing for him.
That's all there's going to be.
Come on.
It's the best thing for him, is a couple of good shocks, Mr.
Wirth.
Let's get you warm.
How's your back, Sam? - Fine.
- Good.
I went to see Dr.
Betchel.
He gave me unicorn root, cayenne pepper, and vinegar.
- Cured me.
- Cured you? Cured me of Dr.
Betchel.
Made me so sick, I couldn't feel my back no more.
Doc? Hello, Marshal.
Doc, you've got to come out to my ranch right now.
You've got to come right now.
- What's the matter, Jake? - It's my boy Andy.
- Boy - Please, Doc.
- Well, I can't Jake.
- Sure you can.
It's not my case.
You know that.
I told Dr.
Betchel he couldn't come back after last night.
I just stopped by his office right now, and I told him for sure.
- Mr.
Wirth? - What? I might have known this was on your mind.
What are you doing following me? You're here to get Doc Adams to take your boy's case.
- I sure am.
- He's not going to do it.
All right, just a minute, now.
What did he do to your boy? He made him take off his shirt and lay down on them wet sacks, and then he poured cold water all over him.
He's an awful sick boy today, Doc.
Looks like the ague, and he's got a terrible temperature.
If you'd let me finish the treatment, he'd have been all right Finish the treatment?! You're a worse quack than I thought.
Quack?! You probably gave that boy pneumonia.
I don't know how you ever got started.
Probably at a medicine show or something.
You're a fraud, and you're the most obvious fraud I've ever seen.
But you've done all the harm around here you're going to do.
You're through, mister.
Doc? Yeah.
Doc, will you come with me now? Yeah, Jake, I'll go with you on one condition.
Like I told you, you know, I can't cure your boy, except for the fever, if I'm lucky.
I understand, Doc.
- Say, Doc? - Yeah? You'd better get back here when you're through.
Yeah.
Why? I think he's going to need a doctor.