 laboratories producer of penicillin shenley and shenley pharmaceuticals presents the encore theater encore theater play tonight dr elix magic bullet presents another new series of great dramatic programs some of our stories of fact the struggles and accomplishments of great men of medicine others of fiction stories of devotion to an ideal individual heroism or great courage by these programs shenley laboratories remind you that medical science and progress is not cold in personal research or pages of statistics but a warm human story told in living terms whether it's the life of one of medicine's immortals or the everyday record of service rendered by your own position elix magic bullet starring charles bickford as dr elix has been set in his rightful spot of honor among those designated by science and medicine for immortality listen to his story the story of a man against a microbe let us go back to his younger years when he was working in the kaiser willhelm hospital in berlin a man with a poor undernourished body sustained and driven by inner fires in those days he was not thought much of and his laboratory experiments were ridiculed but he became friendly with another young doctor and through him he received the most important invitation doctor bering i can't tell you how to early time delighted to see you and professor coke is called this meeting to announce the most exciting discovery very kind of you asked me as a very important manner here today there's all talk over there the minister of science no no over there the one with the mutton shop whiskers come on we'd better sit down it comes for a second on the platform it has long been my belief that to break the losses caused by a living microbe today i am able to announce that the search for this microbe has come to a successful conclusion i have discovered the cause of tuberculosis in the corp of persons suffering from this disease it is a living germ the long rod like shape i invite you all to come forward and do a specimen of it under the microscope unfortunately the best ally do not stand out clearly only those whose eyes are trained in the use of the microscope will be able to see them that of course makes my discovery of little or no value for the average doctor in diagnosing causes of tuberculosis might be possible to see the best ally by staining alec what's that who spoke it was i a professor what did you say come down front please i can't hear you yes sir did you were did you say stain the best ally we must compound a dye which combined with the substance of this microbe then the microbe will be plainly seen for it and nothing else on the slide will be stained did you ever stain a microbe and nothing else on the slide well no as a matter of fact but i have reason to believe it's possible if it is possible i advise you to do so your fame in science will be guaranteed well i have a culture by all means but be careful of the contents of this tube young man they're very dangerous thank you doctor coach good luck young man you'll need it let me worry oh i'm alright Eddie stop acting so much like a wife you were saying a meal you've been working on those slides for months without getting anywhere Paul maybe you should give up perhaps your theory is wrong don't say that i know my theory is right all that cold it's too cold for you in your laboratory i made a fire what did you say you lit a fire yes oh no what's the matter Paul ruined my slide that's what i told you to stay out of here i've told you a dozen times sorry Paul please forgive me look at them a week's work gone for nothing give me that towel Eddie we'll get them off the stove maybe they won't be spoiled here put them here on the table we'll look at them but i have much hope a meal look the micro it's stained the heat the heat must have fixed the dye do you see them a meal of course i see them the red rod-like shapes are the tubercle bacilli anyone can see them now oh this is marvelous Paul marvelous my dear dear mrs. Eric will you marry me like darling dr. Ehrlich of course i will wow professor coke my my microbe a bright red my dear Ehrlich how did you do it by applying fusion red heating the slide then washing it with alcohol the heat that does the trick oh this is a great contribution the doctors little doctors everywhere will be able to diagnose tuberculosis with 100% accuracy i uh i owe you an apology dr. Ehrlich my attitude towards you at the meeting why do you make me very happy professor coke dr. Ehrlich i want you to join my staff what i said in irony holds good your place in science is guaranteed man against the microbe it was the beginning of the fight for him and he would still be fighting when he died they sent him to egypt before they let him work to get rid of his cough and while he was there he began to study the effects of snake bites on people they began to wonder why snake bites were fatal in some cases and not in others so when he came back and this is your laboratory dr. Ehrlich i hope you find it satisfactory now you can go ahead developing new staining methods i'm very grateful but with your intelligence i'd rather not work on dies at present oh indeed well in that case you might join your friend dr. bearing in his diphtheria experiments the number of new cases is alarming most alarming it it looks as if we're in for an epidemic i'm afraid diphtheria is not what i'm looking for either then what in heaven do you want to do right now i want to work on snakes well ernic i i laughed at you before and i was wrong if it's snakes you want very well you shall have snakes get three more snakes and prepare them for me to collect the venom these are depleted hey yes doctor hello amil what luck every child i tried the diphtheria serum on died it didn't work at all i can't figure it out paul but the guinea pigs had worked perfectly amiel but i'm in the midst of an experiment another time i'll be glad to listen another time perhaps all the children in germany will have choked to death by then but of course your own experiment must come first amiel listen to me you don't know what you're talking about when i was in egypt a man and a boy were bitten by an adder the same snake the boy died horribly but the man wasn't even made sick i'm only interested in diphtheria please amiel here's the point three times before he had been bitten three times each time the venom had less effect the symptoms became less and less severe this last time he wasn't even sick immunity for weeks now i've done the same thing experimentally infecting animals with gradually larger doses of snake venom until they were getting shots that would ordinarily kill a hundred of their species all of which proves that immunity is not a quality of the blood but something in the blood specific substances that are formed by the cells a chemical army which destroys bacteria and poisons beginning to see what you're getting at this graph represents the development of immunity to snake venom it shows how you can increase the quantity of antibodies to neutralize any given amount of poison yes yes do you think in diphtheria why not we have only to store a sufficient quantity of antibodies in an animal by injecting it not once but ten twenty thirty times you mean that the blood of a horse perhaps which had withstood twenty increasingly large doses of diphtheria toxin would cure a child that's my theory paul paul i i want to beg your pardon a meal there's never any need for apologies between friends friends become friends because they understand one another here let's get to work there's no use bringing any more children to this hospital we can't do anything for them they might as well die at home i have given orders to put up beds in the corridors in the offices we can't let them die in the streets come in doctor alec the very what are you doing here we have a new serum we're going to try we were set over by professor colt at the specific urging of minister altoff bearing what's the use you tried your serum several times before and it failed in the laboratory this new serum showed itself one hundred times as effective as the old bearing's old serum was good in the laboratory too nothing can stop the epidemic unless it is this serum cannot ignore the possibility you are right doctor alec we cannot ignore any possibility we will give the serum a last and final test i will give you a ward with forty to thirty a patients in it you will give the serum to twenty patients and withhold it from the rest if there is a higher percentage of recovery among the patients treated then among the untreated ones we will know the serum has some value as long as there's a chance the serum may work i think we should give it to everybody only with a controlled experiment can we establish the value of your serum once and for all so remember twenty get the serum and twenty do without new needle too much check again another syringe all right prepare this boy paul he would make twenty one look at his eyes did you deny him a chance to live no but hartman said i'm going to inject them all are you with me i'm with you paul you may be familiar with penicillin as a light-colored powder dissolved in sterile solution you may experience the benefits of penicillin treatment by injection when you are suffering from a serious infection through recent development penicillin can now be administered in nebulized form as well which means another step forward in medical progress among the firms who produce penicillin for administration in various forms is shenley laboratories shenley is today devoting its resources to the production of superior penicillin products some of which are penicillin trochies and tablets to be taken by mouth penicillin ointment for application to affected skin surfaces and penicillin ophthalmic ointment for treatment of certain eye infections in addition shenley laboratories maintains a continuing research program for the study in development of other drugs derived from many sources and processes so that tomorrow your doctor may have even more and better pharmaceuticals to aid him in his fight against disease the second act of doctor elix magic bullet starring charles bickford finished the injection he and baring left the hospital with the knowledge that if their serum failed there would be objects of ridicule they went to elix small house began to pace the hours until they should hear that last and orderly came with the ominous message that his excellency minister out half was waiting to see them at the hospital since when do young research mainly nor the instructions of distinguished positions in all my experience i have never heard of such a thing i was wrong your excellency i know if you could have seen the faces of these children as they fought for breath and if you had known that there was even a chance they might be safe you may consider yourselves very fortunate indeed that things turned out as they did why your excellency is the news from the death area what is it possible that you haven't heard heard what every one of the children you injected is recovering the at a toxin saved them i am issuing orders that batches of the serum be made up and sent to every city in germany gentlemen have a cigar all right i i i think i'd better sit down i'm going to see that both of you young men get the recognition you deserve dr erlich for you i'm going to create a research laboratory where you can be your own master what do you say well there is an idea a theory that i want to experiment on theory yes i believe it will be possible one day manufacturer immunity to disease in a test tube mold little magic bullets to shoot into the bloodstream and destroy invading micro and what disease are you specifically going after with this magic bullet syphilis ten years of study experiment experiment ten years gentlemen we have two factors to reckon with the poisonous effect on the cells of the micro which of course would affect the cure and the poisonous effect on the cells of the body which would be fatal to the patient each shall be represented by a line on this chart the further apart we can push these two lines the closer we shall be to success when they are the width of this chart apart we shall have found the magic bullet may take heaven knows ten years of concentration in labor disappointment in progress ten years at the end of which bearing now a distinguished professor came to see him and an old friendship seemed lost for bearing and erlich found himself stranger i have come here at minister altoff's request he's been having difficulty with the budget committee they don't want to grant your appropriation altoff has asked me to express an opinion as to the value of your work he believes it would have sufficient weight to overbalance the opposition well it places me in a very unpleasant position the idea of shooting chemicals into the veins of human beings fills me with horror if you were not my friend i would attack it public i'm not asking you to be silent put it in writing so that one day i can wave it before your nose no no use doing that because you can't see beyond your nose i'm sure you know how much our friendship means to me no we were friends ten years ago when your mind was open to new ideas but we could never be friends with your present attitude good day paul goodbye amiel bearing went back with his unfavorable report and erlich's funds were cut in half but funds were secured for him from private sources and the work went on gentlemen we have discovered beyond any shadow of doubt that arson that gives the key that fits the molecules which the microbe is composed but also fits the molecules of which the brain and nerves are composed we must now shape our key so that it fits only the microbe the days became weeks the weeks months and the numbers on his great chart representing experiments mounted into the hundreds and gradually the lines grew farther and farther until the numbers on the chart reached six oh six and the lines were the width of the chart apart directors of the german medical association has delegated us to ask you when you will submit your drug for recommendation you must realize that that every physician throughout the world is eager to use your new specific no gentleman i'm sorry but i cannot really specific at this time first i must find out how the preparation affects people with complications with diseases with high blood pressure nervous conditions you must give me more time i have a patient a young girl would be a tragedy if she should die of this horrible thing with six oh six her life can be saved i'm an old man doctor hella can you will forgive me if i speak freely i recall that some years ago there was a diphtheria epidemic and a young doctor unknown and transcended the scientific attitude to relieve some suffering children there is a remedy in the name of humanity surely that doctor will release it to the public there is nothing i can say in answer to so eloquent of the doctor i will see that you gentlemen get the specific as you require it it was the gesture of the humanitarian not the wise a motionless decision of the man of science and he was in trouble very fast in how many deaths will put you have absolute proof that helix compound was the cause thirty eight as publisher of the most influential newspapers in the country it is your duty to reveal the truth about this damnable drug i have here an article of my own writing which will serve to launch the attack i'll read you part the victims of six oh six were assuredly murdered as if they had been stabbed from behind how can such a dangerous drug be distributed in enormous quantities in our country the reason that it's discoverer paul eric and the ryan chemical industries incorporated through their influence with persons in high station have been able to put pressure on positions health officers that they will sue you for i wouldn't ask anything better a trial would bring everything into the open it would be the finish of eric in his so-called specific one of the biggest names of science would testify in our behalf a meal on bearing himself before resuming the court must once more remind all parties concerned that this is a trial of libel that the sole question which concerns us at this time is did doctor alec distribute a poisonous product which cause the deaths of numerous individuals and did he continue to market the product for personal profit after he had knowledge of these deaths as stated by the defendant will put in his article a defense attorney will continue please doctor lent you have heard uh... previous witnesses in this case testified to the deaths of thirty eight with the symptoms in all these instances precisely similar to those of your patient freedom at the end and in your opinion what was the cause of freedom at his death arsenic poison you're on our of course i think it's a poison they can be no question but that i think it i object doctor alec is injuring himself to testify without legal advice i want no legal advice the question of truth great extent i am responsible for these deaths not occurred had i withheld six oh six until i was able to test every reaction to the drug these fatalities however have taught us that in certain rare instances a chemistry occurs within the body which breaks down the compound and releases the arsenic now we know also that each of these individuals flies a danger flag an intense itching of the skin which manifests itself in ample time to discontinue treatment future the preparation may be prescribed to any sufferer without risk your honor we are not concerned with the rosy future which dr alec paints the relevant point is his admission that six oh six caused the deaths of thirty eight people i am only trying to help the court understand the real nature of these deaths the court understands well enough without your assistance i demand that the council for the defense show respect toward my client gentlemen gentlemen i'm afraid that your observations are relevant to this issue dr alec irrelevant next witness paul mattle who audits the books of the alec institute mr mattle is there a special fund devoted to further work on six oh six yes it operates on the sums i received from the ryan chemical industries incorporated does dr alec take money from this fund for his personal use at any time no that would be impossible it is a trust fund which can be used only for test animals laboratory equipment and for salaried assistance your honor dr wilfred in view of this testimony i feel called upon to make a public apology to dr alec for accusing him of capitalizing on his specific it must be remembered however that the main issue is in no way affected by the present revelation my original statement that six oh six is a poison and not a cure remains unchanged i'm sure that professor von dering will corroborate this statement will professor emulf on bearing take the stand please professor bearing is there any scientific means of proof by which it is possible to determine whether or not six oh six performs lasting cures only time which tries all truth in your opinion worthy 38 deaths mentioned in the evidence here due to six oh six in my opinion they were so that while no cures can be attributed to six oh six 38 deaths resulted from its use 39 39 you know of another yes syphilis but professor you have written and lectured against the alec theory of chemical therapy dr wilfred must realize that it is the task of science to discover the truth and that there is no shame attached to recognition of error in the past six months i have studied hundreds of cases and i am now convinced that six oh six is a complete success six oh six stops infectiousness the individuals who are treated with it are no longer capable of passing on the disease to others and if there is no transmission of the infection the disease must necessarily die out true 38 individuals are dead from six oh six but those dead must be thought of as martyrs to the public good if 10 times their number had fallen i would still say it is all for the best or through it and only through six oh six or possibly some new drug not yet discovered can the fight against this dread disease be one or to satisfied from the evidence that six oh six is recognized by the medical profession is the best remedy yet developed for syphilis and it is the court's hope that this trial will not only serve to vindicate dr alec of the accusations made by the defendant but also that it will impress upon the world the full value of his great contribution to mankind therefore in accordance with paragraph 186 of the code the defendant dr huntz wilfred stands convicted of criminal libel and is sentenced to one year in prison in view of the fact that he's not previously been convicted of any crime the prison sentence will be suspended and he'll be placed on probation i don't know what to say to you how to thank you for your testimony don't thank me paul for the rest of my life i'm going to be thanking you and so will all doctors and all people not only in our time but in all the times to come you're an honor to your profession your country and your century in a moment we'll bring our star charles bickford back to this microphone but first maybe leave this thought with you is it serious doctor you ask when you were ill whatever your physician's answer common sense dictates that the sooner you consult him about any disturbing symptoms the more certain the control or cure of your ailment will be shenley laboratories suggest you consult your physician when you're worried about your health have a regular physical checkup even when you feel all right and your chances of a long and health-filled life will be far greater for it and now here is the star of tonight's play charles bickford ladies and gentlemen to sum up the spirit of this shenley laboratories program this simple and beautiful prayer of the physician written centuries ago by my modern eddies seems to me to be apt and fitting the eternal providence has appointed me to watch over the life and death of all thy creatures i always see in the patient a fellow creature in pain grant me strength and opportunity always to extend the domain of my craft this is the prayer of the physician it is ages old yet today it is as new as the hope for a peaceful way of life for all the world may we invite you to listen again next week at this same time when shenley laboratories presents dark victory starring french art tone and susan peters two great stars in a great story goodnight dr elix magic bullet was produced and directed by bill laurence and was presented through the courtesy of warner brothers who this year is celebrating the 20th anniversary of sound pictures it was a gene holloway adaptation charles bickford will soon be seen in the dory sherry rko production katey for congress this is frank graham speaking for shenley laboratories producer of penicillin shenley and inviting you to listen next Tuesday at the same time when you will hear french art tone and susan peters in dark victory this is cbs the columbia broadcast existence