 The Cavalcade of America Many years ago when Thomas Jefferson was president and everything beyond the Allegheny Mountains was a wilderness The DuPont company began to play its part in the establishment of chemical science in the United States And so in presenting the Cavalcade of America DuPont has a feeling of kinship with the American pioneers whose faith and courage were such essential factors in the progress of our nation As you listen to these episodes from the nation's past You will have a feeling of reassurance in the knowledge that the same ideals of American character live today in the cities on the farm Marching forward in the Cavalcade of America Our first story this evening takes place down south in Georgia in the year 1842 It was just about then that Stephen Foster began composing the melodies that became the folk songs of America Our Cavalcade orchestra will play a group of songs by Stephen Foster Who unselfishly played their part in making our country a better place to live in Who did their work for humanity rather than for gain or glory? And nowhere is this spirit more truly found than in the great medical profession It is March 30th in the year 1842 In the middle town of Jefferson, Georgia a 27 year old physician Dr. Crawford W. Long is in his living room talking with a group of friends No wonder they don't take you seriously making fantastic claims like that. But Mr. He is I'm telling the truth. Well, laugh if you will, Mr. Long. The day is coming when a surgeon will be able to operate without causing the slightest pain to the patient Dr. Long for years the finest minds of the whole world have looked for something to dead in pain How a young man like you are hardly hot of the university can imagine I don't imagine Mr. Rose I've tried it here how you came across this pain killer Well, about a month ago young fellow came to me and asked me if I could make nitrous oxide What's that laughing gas when I was up north? I knew some students who sniffed laughing gas and said it stimulated a lot of students to try This chapter came to see me wanted some I didn't have any apparatus for making it So I told him I knew of a substitute I offered him a sniff of ether Bored some on his hand because he breathed in so deeply that it overpowered him He fell down those three steps leading to my laboratory and broke his leg what what when he broke his leg Under the influence of this ether he claimed that he didn't feel any pain It wasn't until the effects of the ether wore away that he knew anything was wrong That's different man may be insensible for a second and not be conscious of pain But an operation takes time. I haven't healed even been unconscious for at least 15 minutes unconscious perhaps But how do you know if you were insensible to pain? How do you know that a sudden pain wouldn't have aroused you? That's the law of fake part. Yes. Yes, sir. Yes. Yes Good afternoon doctor. Good afternoon, mr. Doctor I've heard a rumor that you can perform a surgical operation Without hurting a man who told you that your colored boy Jasper said something about it to my friend Jasper's trifle prematureness both What's the trouble? I have something on my neck Dr. Wilson says it's a tumor that ought to be removed and in the last turn I thought that you will sit down here, mr. Then we'll have a look. Thank you Yes, yes, I think I can give me without hurting me Are you willing to let me take a chance? Yes, I am Would you mind if I ask the gentleman to watch this operation? Why I don't know be really for your own protection They'll see that I don't try to deceive you. Oh, mr. Thurman, mr. Hayes, mr. All come here a moment. Will you please I want you to witness what may be a great achievement or a colossal Oh, don't say failure doctor. Oh, what's that? It is afternoon, then about there. Good afternoon, sir What is this young optimist proposing to do now? He says he can remove this tumor from my neck without my feeling It's all right to say I wanted to Please this is between mr. Thenable and myself I know you've called these gentlemen in to hold me down. No, I promise You'll have to trust me then Yes, I will just put this paper cool of your mouth What are you going to do doctor? What is in that bottle medical term? It's so curious I'm going to pour it into the cool Relax now, mr. Thenable Take a long breath. Take a long breath. Take a long breath Take a long breath Take a long breath It's all gone. The bandage isn't too tight, is it? No, I don't feel Oh Yes, there is a bandage Are you saying it's out? Yes No, it's not the thing Can't believe it's gone. Oh dear mr. Thenable. I saw him do it. It's remarkable. Oh, it's a miracle An absolute miracle. After long I can never thank you enough What a blessing this is going to be for people in pain In the presence of his three friends dr. Corporal w long performed the first operation with ether as an anesthetic So his government was slow to recognize his gift to humanity There stands in Paris a statue of the man whose life was spent trying to make this a happier world The discoverer of ether as an anesthetic the georgia practitioner dr. Corporal w long Our second story in this tribute to medical science Takes place at the time of the building of the Panama Canal in 1904 Our cavalcade orchestra sets the stage with pan americana composed by victor herbert for the pan american exposition at buffalo in 1901 Pan americana makes use of indian themes of north central and south america American cavalcade moves onward Nowhere in this cavalcade is there a more inspiring figure than that of dr. William c gorgas Who sought to benefit all of mankind and serve postality? It is august 1904 the united states has decided to build the Panama canal army engineers lead a multitude of men in a mighty venture But the most desperate struggle is not against rivers and mountains, but against the deadly jungle pendulum At the office of the sanitary apartment and con hospital in Panama We find its chief dr. William c gorgas busy at his desk as one of his aides comes into the room Oh, pardon me dr. Gorgas. I'm sorry to be late. I met some friends of mine who just arrived mankind Made the grave of the engineers and his daughter. Yes. I know grave good man They're outside if you'd care to see him eat. I would I mean made the grave delighted to see you sir. Oh, how are you finals on? Good of you to call soon. I'll put some on a carnival reason. My daughter wanted to see this hospital Oh, excuse me. Have you met my daughter helen colonel gorgas? Welcome to Panama. It's great. Thank you, doctor Did you know my assistant captain blake captain grace? Well, it was lieutenant when I saw him last Don't be too excited over his promotion my dear They're given high titles down here to all the natives perhaps My part. I just assume a way of the title receive a little more help Dr. Gorgas might I borrow your assistant to tell me around the hospital? Certainly. Is this perfectly safe or quite well screened, but isn't yellow fever a very contagious? There's only one way to contract yellow fever to a bite from the stagelmaier colobus And that's our scientific name for the special mosquito Blake can be trusted not to let her visit the horrors. Yes, sir. We'll be right back. Take your time and blake You might inquire if there's a cable for me. Yes, sir. That's in the right Fine young man No, my daughter seems to think all to make some girl a splendid husband Well, just the person there's a young man in my division lutan and sandblower who seems to have the inside Oh Course blake isn't an engineer. What I'm sorry major. I didn't mean it as a sounder They haven't made it easy for me here Calabria hill and the shaggers river aren't our worst worry You came of course in the railroad today, of course you saw the masses of rusty machinery left by the french Those rows of crosses on mucky hills The remains of the de lessons Yes, the lessons didn't compare with our engineers. The lessons wasn't so bad He built the Suez canal And our governor of the zone general davis built the washington monument They didn't have to fight the jungle in the mosquito. I was warned You were a bit mad about mosquitoes and I first went to cuba some years ago I too was a skeptic The wall to read and carlis finley convinced me Finley developed this theory read boogers. Please god. I can profit by it This place is a pestle grave It's customary not so long ago for a council to send his predecessor home in a coffin Are you sure all man that you are not needlessly apprehensive We didn't expect this job to be a picnic, you know, I know But with health the mosquitoes would be wiped out And it must be wiped out if we're to build this canal Come in Oh, how about those own Yes, the cable you're expecting sir. Well, this may be what I've been waiting for. I pray so Bad innocent leaders Leaders loud the major gray may hear I cable washing them yesterday for certain necessary supplies that were refused me here Means the lives of thousands of our boys Need the answer In future send all requests for supplies by letter Cables cost money cables cost money and then die I can't do it alone I tell you gray unless I read this place a disease There won't be enough fees on the isthmus to provide courses to the cemetery Some time later major gray and his daughter are situated at empire a government settlement about calabra hill With a big cut is being made And bar plate often finds his duties leading him in that direction. Oh, well, that's in vate Are you here personally today or officially? What makes you? Well, it makes a difference in my attitude. I rather like you personally. Thank you But officially you're a great deal of trouble You see the last time you were here you men put oil in my watering cans and when I water my Water breeds mosquitoes ellen. You can't always see the larvae, but oil kills them Yes, and oil kills my flowers. You know, there's a fine of 10 dollars for anyone who leaves any water standing in the open Oh, well, my father's an official of the canal so that doesn't apply to me They find the president of panamara last week. They're even oiling the holy water response from the cathedral We're getting better cooperation from the panamanians and we are from our own government Oh, bob, you're so solemn about it. You've never seen a man die of yellow jack-o-lan Oh, that's all over I look at it here in empire a settlement built by the army It's clean. It's sanitary. There's no yellow jack here. You might give our oil spray some credit Well, if you're going to be disagreeable about my flowers again, I'll Well, anyway, it was clean water the sega maya mosquito breeds in clean water. What's more, she likes places where people live Rather a social little beast. You see and that's why we concentrate our oil in the residential areas I see you did come on an official visit captain blake You know really tom candler is much more careful. Oh All right, I suppose you're seeing a lot of tom candler these days Yes, he's here now He's going to take me to the dance at the office of clubs. Oh, uh, yes, i'm here Ellen, what's the phone number for medical headquarters? I can't seem to raise anyone anything I can do candler. Oh, hello blake Yes, yes, I wish you'd come in and take a look at helens father But what's the matter? Where is he in the living room? He's been complaining all afternoon about his head dizzy tired muscles hot. Yes. Oh, what is it? Well, I don't know yet. Oh, bob. What do you think? I'll tell you when I see him there. Where is he here? He wasn't here We've fallen Take it easy. Helen. He's fainted. He's perhaps candler. You get the more that's right away Helen get dr. Gorges on the phone. I'd like to speak to him. Oh, yes, bob. It was Here's the water. Oh, thanks major Major try now just to swallow That's all Here stand up help me put him up on the sofa. We just like what's the trouble? Well, I I want dr. Gorges diagnosis. I don't want Helen to take my word for it He's got every symptom of yellow jack yellow jack That's a loud Excuse me, hand here. We're not serious. You don't want me to touch him. Why yellow jack isn't contagious So you say but you don't know why I've handled hundreds of cases and been with them nice and Thanks, you're a doctor. Are you going to help me? I'm just down here. You can't ask me to touch a man with yellow fever Yellow jack Keep away from him. Helen don't touch him. Get out of here. You Get all right, Helen. We'll take him Weeks and weeks of devoted care and medical skills Finally pulled major gray through the terrible illness He was sent home to washington and it was over a year before he was able to return to panama I'm just to see what progress has been made on the canal He and his daughter stand on empire hills above the great calabra hut watching the afternoon blasting Major gray Oh god, you old guy. Oh, hello major. I'm sorry. I couldn't get off to meet you to vote But I got here just as soon as I could. I was so glad this is your house kind of garden Oh, he's working hard as usual He'd hope to meet you too before gorgas still have his trouble Well, I'm afraid so major. He's still grumbling about insufficient supplies I'd hope when the president appointed colonel gotel's head of the commission with gorgas himself on the board Things would be different. Oh, they are better, but Well, colonel gotel is an engineer first Oh, I beg your pardon sir. It slipped out. Oh, I don't blame you bob I was as bad as any of them. I had to be convinced myself and it took a pretty hard lesson to do it Well, I don't blame colonel ghostel though He's a marvel for speed and efficiency when he arrived the doctor had the mosquitoes pretty well licked When the doctor goes after anything, you know, he sticks to it Yes, I do know it I overheard him arguing with colonel ghostel a few days before I came away And colonel said Do you know gorgas that every mosquito that you kill cost the government 10 dollars? And the doctor sort of smiled and answered I just think if one of those 10 dollar mosquitoes should buy two colonel What a loss that would be to the country Thanks to you I'm quite myself again. Don't let him work too hard my dear now. He's back in harness. Don't worry. I won't Colonel gorgas a I'm not a sentimentalist. I don't know how to express myself exactly But I wish the world could be told that the panamoc canal would never be finished if it hadn't been for you nonsense What does it matter what the world thinks about it as long as it's done? This honor enough for us all in knowing We did what we were supposed to do the panamoc canal was formally opened in 1915 Its speedy completion knew largely to the perseverance of the man who fought and conquered a deadly giraffe Gorgas fame spread to other countries. He was offered a post by the british government Where he again waged a winning fight against disease it is july 1920 Far from st. Paul's to people Two men an american and an ingressman Are watching a solemn perfection as it winds its way up lutz gate hill There's always something impressive about one of your military funerals Must be someone as important as it has to her. They don't turn out a regimen, but a nobody A rider is forced following the gun carriage always gets weak So look Look the stars have stripes over the customers. Oh must be some pretty well-known countrymen of yours For our government to give him a good use like this. I'll ask about it. Oh officer officer Yes Do you know whose funeral this is? general gorgas Formerly surgeon general the united states army. Oh, yes. Arthur retired. He helped us clean up south africa He came over to McTidal Of course he refused. He did sir He can't stop us giving him a funeral in st. Paul's alongside willington and melton They'll take him back home to a letter They may write a letter But he don't belong to you alone He was a soldier of the world The highest kind of doctor He belongs to us all than the highest self men who through self-sacrifice and devotion to ideals Dedicated their lives so that the world might know greater happiness Through these two unselfish doctors cropper long and william gorgas who are glorious examples of their profession We salute the great medical fraternity ever in the vanguard of the cavalcade of america It is indeed true that all of us owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women too Who through the ages as well as through our own country's history have devoted their lives to safeguarding the public health In this connection, it's interesting to note that the duPont company recently established a permanent institution The haskell laboratory at willmington delaware for the study of occupational diseases In an effort to make life in industrial america safer and happier for every worker As the results of this study come to light, they will be available to all people throughout the world Modern chemistry has done much within this present generation to develop many medicinal products Among them a number of excellent antiseptics Starting with salt the chemist makes sodium perbore Widely used in diseases of the mouth out of chemical processes that start with sulfur air and water There comes hydrogen peroxide an antiseptic familiar to everyone The chemistry of zinc produces a new antiseptic zinc peroxide In working with coal tar the chemist makes phenol which you may know by its more common name Carbolic acid and from cotton the chemist derives that most important diagnostic aid x-ray film DuPont is one of the leading chemical companies making these products Which are eventually used by people throughout the land to protect human life Incidentally, those of you who are in or near new york may see with your own eyes the wonderful strides that chemical science has made in recent years By visiting the chemical show all this week at grand central palace in new york The interesting exhibits there will give you a mighty good idea of the importance of chemical research So well expressed by the watchword of duPont chemists Better things for better living through chemistry It seems appropriate on this program dedicated to medical science That we remind you of the annual sale of christmas fields by the national tuberculosis association Those stamps pay for direct care and research not only in tuberculosis, but in other communicable diseases This splendid work should be supported by everyone. So remember by christmas fields Next Wednesday evening at this same time duPont will again present the cavalcade of america This is the columbia broadcasting system wabc new york