 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players public service time has been made available by this station for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail Crawford Williamson Long the first doctor in America to use ether in a surgical operation our story is entitled country doctor and concerns a young man a very very young man at the time who made a startling discovery that revolutionized medical practice in every part of the civilized world will bring you his dramatic story from the rocky cliffs of Korea to the pine covered hills of Georgia in just a minute right now an announcement registered nurses here's a chance to be of service to your country during one of the most critical periods in America's history as you know our army has expanded rapidly due to the tense international situation and urgently needs more nurses to help safeguard the health of our soldiers you will be a commissioned officer with good pay and liberal allowances and you'll have priceless opportunities for furthering your professional career you'll have the benefit of working with some of the finest medical equipment in the world and the chance of learning the newest techniques in the medical profession get all the facts today write or wire the Surgeon General United States Army Washington 25 DC do it now and now your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production country doctor and young don't know on the outskirts of Seoul Korea there's an evacuation hospital two long lines of canvas army cut stretch the length of a warm oversized room if there's any suffering it isn't apparent the soldiers know that they're destined south to Busan to Japan or even stateside they know that they've been given the best of care that medical science allows a few steps down the hall from the ward is an immaculate operating room a surgeon enters and looks at the unconscious figure lying on the table what is it this time Harry compound fracture of left leg with loss of tissue was given a half-grain dose of morphine a pint of blood at the mobile hospital unit up front we're all set to go some of your washout okay any sign of his regain consciousness I just gave him a shot of sodium panatholium sleep through this like a baby good old anesthesia I wonder why the Lord didn't give us the power to put people asleep before he did I guess the stuff was always there but we never found it maybe so did I tell you Harry that I knew a guy who knew the guy who discovered anesthesia no where we're down south a father used to be a traveling salesman working out of Athens Georgia one day it took me along with them our first stop was a little country store on Jefferson few miles north west of Athens there was an old carter inside the store you see take a liking to me I can hear him now pull up that keg and nails there my friend sit down rest your hands and feet my name is Ed Crimmins I reckon I've been living in northeast Georgia as long as anybody round 94 next birthday yes seven years old when the war between the states ended mm-hmm you ever hear tell a Crawford long the fellow who used to say a lot of folks say that pain is no evil unless it conquers us but why let it conquer us when we can conquer it we have the weapon now to triumph over pain yeah he was a smart one all right that Crawford long I was round when he was still going strong mm-hmm he used to wave at me from his horse and bug in corner but my name of course I was pretty young even when he died but I used to hear people tells how he'd graduated from the University University of Georgia that is we end up north the medical school and was going great guns as a surgeon in New York by the time he was 23 but he didn't stay long no see came back to Georgia in the spring of 1841 when he was only 25 he used to run the stagecoach from Columbia South Carolina to Athens in those days all was the right smart crowd of people needed to hey here it comes here it comes now he's ahead of time yeah but look who's driving seek way no wonder glad to see you too Crawford I only wasted circumstances with the past so do I what it happens in the best of families those three releases of mine boy bring them over here hey you get a point hey by the way Crawford you you know Caroline Swain here don't you please meet you miss Wayne please to meet you why you used to stand in line to dance with her we as in college stand a line of what Caroline Swain of course I'm sorry that's all right perfect how are you well five years can do things to some people folks in New York who raven over Fannie Campbell get a look at you oh yeah Crawford I I didn't want to write you that letter but you know I've taken over a lot of father's law practice and when I looked over your daddy's accounts I just didn't know anything else to do so my family's in a pretty bad way yeah pretty bad I didn't know if you could get away why shouldn't I be able to get away well one of the most promising young surgeons in New York that's what we've been hearing shucks hey boy get those two big boxes off the back that mine too what did you do bring everything your own practically but you won't have to stand along in a month or so to get everything straight out here no gene I was looking out of the stagecoach windows as we were coming from Anderson the streams deep blue hills and distance big white clouds up above they never seem to move the smell of southern pine and red clay in sagging fence it's still beautiful I don't see why people break their necks to get to New York I'll take this what you don't mean you're staying that's right Caroline what about your patients have no oh they'll get by there are hundreds of doctors New York to take care of my list of embolism down here it's different they aren't enough doctors to go around but your future crop my futures in the hills of Georgia I made up my mind before I even left this is home and the more I see of it after five years the more I like it I'm staying here that's how they said was that's how come Crawford long hung out his shingle in Jefferson here just a few miles away from Athens mm-hmm and like he said he didn't like for patients no sir some paid but more than couldn't afford to add and make no difference the dark every day you could see him riding his horse over the red clay hills going to somebody's help well that same fall they had a fair somewhere around these parts I guess most everybody went to it except the dark and he was too busy anyway Yankee come along and set up a great big tent right smack in the middle of the midway seems he had a fellow all right ladies and gentlemen are you downcast are you sad well get ready to wipe those tears out of your eyes my friends because in just five minutes from now that sadness is going to turn to gladness in just five minutes from now you're going to witness one of the most phenomenal demonstrations of the 19th century yep you guessed it we have it right here laughing gas the wonder of the age the gas that that great English poet Robert South he calls the atmosphere of the highest heaven in just five minutes from now we're going to administer 20 gallons count on five ten fifteen twenty four gallons of this precious paper the first ten volunteers come on stage then experience the most delightful sensations they've ever known and as for the rest of you who'd rather look on your lab you'll scream your house you'll see your friends and neighbors singing and dancing maybe even crowing like chickens are standing on their heads all for this small price 25 cents step right up ladies and gentlemen on stage or in the audience you can't lose it's scientific it's educational it's side-splitting with no danger to anybody now don't push don't show just a quarter part of a dollar to witness the wonder of the age hurry hurry should have gone with us last night Crawford it was the dog on the side I ever did so yeah many cobs and Yankee doodle sound like a scree-toe and grandpa Lamar kept throwing his arms around it and trying to kiss her they call it stuff laughing gas I know nitrous oxide yeah what nitrous oxides a chemical compound anybody wanted more to your cake oh not I think take these plates out lighter yes sir the man who gave the lecture said it was a brand new discovery the wonder the age don't believe everything you hear Caroline it's been around for years but what's it used for Crawford outside ten shows well I tell you Jean it's a favorite indoor pastime in every medical school in the country sniffing nitrous oxide sir Humphrey Davian England tried it on himself any number of times all he discovered was that he had tremendous ideas made wonderful discoveries while he was under its influence when it wore off I couldn't remember what they were well sir I wish my wife let me volunteer last night me too I'd take chance on anything you got any of the stuff Crawford not a bit Jeff I'm not running a tent show that's too bad you'd probably take in more money and you'd most likely make an exhibition of yourself how it just like those folks last night well at least we'd keep it to ourselves and set it running around in public like those folks last night wait a minute wait a minute I tell you what I do have sulfuric ether larger yes I fetch me the brown bottle that's sitting on my desk in the other room you know the one that came from Philadelphia today yes sir and what sulfuric ether Crawford oh she was for a lot of things Jean but I remember one afternoon in the University of Pennsylvania the student working beside me in the laboratory dropped a beaker of it on the floor it broke and spilled all over the place by the time we got the mess cleaned up we were both dizzy thanks Elijah well are you gentlemen still interested I'm game and me too Jean Caroline no and none for me Crawford I reckon these napkins will fill the bill very simple just unscrew the top pour a little of a precious liquid on one napkin like this here you are Jeff and little on the other napkin sure smells awful here you are Albert and you needn't worry about the pungent odor you'll get used to it very very quickly I show you won't notice a thing and maybe you better sit down no I'm all right so my hold the napkins over your mouth and nose phew oh that's it now breathe easily deeply inhale exhale inhale exhale inhale exhale inhale exhale look out Jeff is he gonna be all right Crawford I hope so Jean just lacerations from the broken glass no deep cuts but he should have shown some reaction when I dusted on that alum well he didn't oh not so much as a twitch I think Albert's coming too oh that wipe Jeff's face with that wet towel again would you Jean yeah I see what's doing with Albert he was moving a minute ago Crawford come on Albert come on come on come on wake up come what what oh Crawford long what you doing here well it happens to be my office you've been asleep for the past 15 minutes oh how do you feel kind of sick you don't hurt well I just feel kind of sick not not bad you just kind of well you should hurt take a look at those legs of your hey there they're all bruised how'd that happen you did it yourself Albert you tripped over that chest of drawers over there Crawford Jeff's coming around all right Jeff everything is all right let's swing around here come on let's sit up that's a boy hey hey oh what happened you've been having a little snooze yeah what's this white powder stuff on my arm don't rub it off that's Alan you fell into that long floor mirror knocked it over the floor mirror oh god I sure did not I'm sorry Crawford I'll pay you for it I'll get you a new one I'm not interested in mirrors right now all I want to know is whether you are in pain or not pain no why you're sure you're positive sure I'm sure no pain deep sleep hmm what's the matter Crawford is anything wrong well Crawford tell us what's wrong wrong there's nothing wrong Caroline far from it the matter of fact we may have something here you are listening to the proudly we hail production country doctor our story will continue in just a moment after this important message our army has expanded tremendously to meet the challenge of the forces of aggression which are threatening the peace of the world and there is an urgent need for professional women to fill the ranks within the women's medical specialist corps the occupational and physical therapist and the dietitians who comprise the corps have never had a greater opportunity to serve where they are needed most right now there are only a few hundred of these highly trained specialists serving throughout the army and the Air Force despite the fact that the need for their services has never been more acute to the women of this profession your army and Air Force offers not only the opportunity to fulfill a patriotic duty but a commission as an officer in the army or the Air Force of the United States and with that commission goes the pay the privileges the security and the opportunities for continued study that is available to every officer the opportunity for a lifetime career is great but the need is greater so if you are a qualified occupational or physical therapist or a dietitian here is your chance to serve your country in an hour of great need right or wire the Surgeon General United States Army or the Surgeon General United States Air Force Washington 25 DC remember you are needed now you are listening to proudly we hail and the story of Dr. Crawford Williamson Long of Georgia we return you now to the general store in the village of Jefferson for the second act of country doctor back against that sack of beans my friend if I make you any more comfortable see that big mulberry tree short piece down the road and the building across from it that was Crawford Long's office mm-hmm some museum today and over on this side you can't see it from inside here is Jim Venable's old place he was about Doc's age too well sir one afternoon in March 1852 the Docs start over into Athens to see his lawyer friend Jean Hightower he had a brand new buggy another horse by that time larger his house boy was driving but they'd no sooner swung round in front of Venable's then Doc saw the very man he was looking for Jean hold up a minute Jean you wait here like I'll be right back Jean oh howdy Crawford I was on my way into town to see you I was just going across the road to see you hi Jim howdy Crawford well what brings you out to Jefferson this time of day anyway I had some legal matters to take up with Jim here oh good you can kill two of your clients with one storm put up the horse and buggy larger the only trouble is Jim doesn't seem very legally disposed today and don't feel good what's matter with you I don't know I just don't feel good maybe it sees two big lumps on the back of my neck they don't hurt you do that yeah no I shouldn't but they don't look good don't they make me feel embarrassed and take my mind off my work well it's your own fault Jim I've told you time and time again I'll be more than happy to cut them out but every time you get to the all right doc cut them out get the job over and done with when right now rather short notice if Jean has to get back in a town oh don't y'all mind me I have all the time in the world you'll do it then Crawford right away all right lock up your place why should I lock it up you don't gonna kill me I hope I try not to but it might hurt a little well I don't care you you got the usual shot of whiskey in your office I reckon all right George I haven't at that no glad you mentioned it I used the last drop in an operation yesterday well it won't hurt too much will it Crawford huh you don't have to do the whole job today maybe just a part of it maybe old man Pearson has some tucked away somewhere he usually has maybe maybe he'll lend this bottle hmm that's an idea it will come on let's go see old man Pearson let's cry him out there's nothing to lose no wait a minute Jim I have a better idea no Crawford you're not going to give him that yes Jean that's exactly what I'm going to do since you have all the time in the world you can help I need it come on let's go don't you want me to lie down on the table or something Crawford no just sitting a chair by the window here Jim I guess we're about ready to start hand me that towel beside you Jean you want it for the stuff mm-hmm soon as I get the top off with this bottle there we are what's that funny smell ether oh what's either oh some stuff it smells funny you won't smell it very long now listen Jim I'm going to hold this towel over your nose and mouth it's my neck not my nose yeah I know I know all I want you to do is breathe in slowly and deeply will you do that for me well I try all right now well wait a minute take it easy Jim don't I'm not hurtin all right hold his shoulders do you all right now keep breathing easily Jim that's it how do you feel now mm-hmm dizzy dizzy dizzy floating away floating floating all right seen one more piece of that gauze yeah thank you that's that Jim ought to be coming out of it any moment now hmm don't this thing I ever saw they teach you this in school Crawford school hasn't even thought of this not yet and I'm not going to tell him about it till I'm sure I'm on the right track well let's see how our patience doing come on Jim let's wake up it's all over wake up wake up let me let me alone take your hands up oh Crawford Jim Crawford long yeah I must have painted you know all you didn't faint you were gonna fix up my neck that's right well why don't you go ahead and do it you know where it's done it's over Finney you can forget your embarrassment from here on out but I don't understand Crawford the last thing I remember I sat down here in the chair and you put a put a cloth over my face now you say you didn't feel anything did you know how do you feel now I don't know maybe my arm feels little numb you'll get over that in the next few minutes then I can go back to work if you don't you'd better lock up that place of yours you mean that that's all except the bell $2 I send it to you on the first of the month now what do you know I don't know just what we do know Jean I'm going to try to find out but I know one thing we do have something here well sir short time after the Crawford long up and mad with Caroline Swain where everybody expected the wood the up and coming young surgeon and she the niece of the governor North Carolina boy howdy they say that when she was up mm-hmm but didn't slow down the dark no sir he kept right on plugging along shouldn't let this toe get infected son when you did you should have come to see me right away quick now I'm gonna put this towel over your face I want you to keep breathing slow and deep easy easy breathe in breathe out breathe in breathe out then there was Pete Vincent he had something wrong with his head doc operated and when he come to he he'd earn here when they start you say you're all through doctor and not after suffering all these years I don't believe it I didn't feel a thing it's a miracle that's what it is a miracle old doc long stayed the job he cut out himself until the very day he died yep you could tell his horse and buggy my law if you couldn't tell the horse and buggy could tell who it was with a chin whiskers waving in the breeze I used to stand by the side of the road and wait from the past I'd wave to him I did win you behave on yourself and then I'd watch the dusty buggy go up the red play road to the cotton fields and all the hills going to help somebody else and that's the way I heard it when I was a kid Harry doc long never tried to take credit for what he did but he certainly blaze the trail I sure saved this soldier plenty of pain doc yes medicines come a long way since they used to give patients a slug of whiskey and go to work sulfur drugs penicillin all different kinds anesthetics depending upon what's wrong with you not to mention helicopters to fly your back from Sniper Ridge quicker than I could get you to the hospital down the street back home better than that why not climb into one of the mobile hospital units and bring the hospital to the patient maybe someday we'll be sending death on that holiday hey boys coming out of it good about that everything's okay couple oh I got clobbered I better my hit oh not bad just a fracture I don't remember a thing after they carried me back to the mobile unit no thanks a doc long and then who followed him I don't think I know I don't think he was in your outfit but you can thank him just the same just put on a splint Harry light traction for the time being flying back Tokyo okay doc and don't worry corporal soon be as good as new registered or graduate nurses answer your country's call for service in the Army nurse corps the need is great and the need is urgent there just aren't enough nurses to handle the nursing requirements of our greatly expanding Army and you as a nurse can appreciate perhaps better than anyone else the fact that an Army's efficiency is largely dependent upon the state of its health so here's your opportunity to be of immeasurable service to your country at a time when the need is great the Army nurse corps has plenty to offer you to the pay is good and the allowances are liberal you'll be in a job that challenges the best that's within you and you'll have endless opportunities to grow in your professional capacity the Army's vigorous medical research program has developed many new medical techniques and you'll learn how to apply them but most of all you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you are serving at a time when you are needed most so make your decision to serve now right or wire the surgeon general United States Army Washington 25 DC this has been another program on proudly we hail present a transcribed in cooperation with the station proudly we hail is produced by the recruiting publicity center for the United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting service this is Kenneth Banghart speaking and inviting you to tune in the same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we hail