Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 4, Episode 23 - The Eye of the Needle - full transcript

- Doctor...
- Dr. Asten and I'm Dr. Quincy.

- How do you do?
- How do you do?

How could an ulcer
like this go untreated?

I mean what kind of a crummy
doctor would let this happen?

The doctor' in question, Quincy,

is the woman that
you admire so much.

She and her medicine
killed Helen Burnett.

As surely as if they
put a gun to her head.

Her ulcer was improving. I would
stake my medical reputation on that.

And you'd lose.

Can I see her?
Can I see the body?



Of course.

It's your handiwork.

Gentlemen, you
are about to enter

the most fascinating
sphere of police work,

the world of forensic medicine.

Oh, please, I need help.

I know you're the
answering service...

Please, as soon
as you can, Burnett.

Hello. I'm heading out
towards Santa Monica...

Can you give me a lift?

No. Get out of my way...

Oh!

What's the matter?

Oh. Help me... Please, help me.



Get a hold of some bad stuff?

Take me home... Beverly Hills...

Well, now, don't you
worry about a thing.

I'll take care of everything.

Oh please, I can pay you...

Get in your nice
shiny little car.

That's it doll.
Keep it in there.

In my purse, the keys.

You're very nice
looking, but old.

Good-bye.

Balance. I can't
stress that enough.

Balance, between the
emotional life and the physical life.

Yes?

I'm Dr. James Richards.

How did you get interested
in holistic medicine?

That's a good question. Um...

For about three years
I was treating a woman

who was suffering from severe
arthritis and I had started her on aspirin.

Of course, I had to move to
stronger and stronger drugs.

And I realized that I was
not helping her arthritis.

I had failed to
help her arthritis,

but I had succeeded in making
her more susceptible to infection.

I felt I had cheated her.

But what about stress?
What about the environment?

What about life style?

We have to
consider these things.

In fact, there's a new study
that indicates that as many as

three-fourths of all cancers

may be directly attributable
to the environment.

Now, traditional medicines
seem to be unable

to deal with these factors,

but in holistic medicine,

the participant deals with
them within him or herself.

Any other questions?

Ah, yes. I'm Dr. Steven Chase.

Dr. Stoddard and I are
associates at Doctors' Hospital.

You just used two key words...

May be.

Now, doesn't that take the
science out of your argument?

I mean, we all here are after
all people of science and fact.

If may be is allowed,
couldn't we then assume

that may be three
quarters of all cancer is

caused by men who wear
polka-dot ties and spit in streets.

Can we afford to give up
traditional, tested scientific methods?

Trusting our patients lives and
care to speculations and may bes.

Steven, I'm not suggesting
that we give up anything.

I come from traditional medicine,
and I respect the traditional approach.

I don't want to tear that down.

But thousands of
people die every year

from doctor-prescribed drugs
and hundreds of thousands more

are admitted to hospitals for the
same reason at a cost of millions.

Now, that I think
we should tear down.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
That's all we have time for.

- Thank you Dr. Stoddard.
- Thank you.

She really believes what
she's saying, doesn't she?

Yeah, she does.

Yeah, kinda cute,
too. You know her?

- Yes, I know her.
- Would you introduce me?

Quincy, she's a doctor,
not a stewardess.

Oh, come on, will ya. I
just want to talk to her.

- That's all. Come on.
- I only know her very vaguely.

That's good enough. I'd
very much appreciate it.

- Ah, Dr. Stoddard.
- Oh, Doctor, uh...

Astin. And I'm Dr. Quincy.

- How do you do.
- How do you do.

Ah, thank you
for Introducing us.

I enjoyed your talk very much.

Oh, thank you.

Eh, nice to see you
again, Dr. Stoddard.

- Was something wrong?
- Well, he's shy.

I can't tell you how much
you peaked my interest tonight.

I would like to learn some more.

Oh good, well great.

Maybe you'd like to come
down to the clinic some time

and, and see how we
work with our participants.

- We're at Doctors' Hospital.
- Participants?

Oh yeah, that's how
we refer to our patients.

Oh, it's kinda revolutionary
for this new medicine?

Oh hardly. I wanted to use
a really revolutionary term.

I wanted to call them people.

Oh, I really want to learn
more. Could we have dinner?

Oh, I'd lo... Oh, I'd like to

but I've got an early
clinic in the morning.

- Can I take a rain check?
- You sure can.

- Well,
thanks for the day anyway.
- Thank you.

She was some kinda lady.
Not only was she pretty,

she knew what she was
talking about and she believed it.

Come on, Quincy,
no one's that fantastic.

She must have some blue eyes.

You know, you're getting
more and more like Astin.

Listen to this.

Dr. Barrie Stoddard.
Johns Hopkins, Cornell,

Summa cum laude, Briteman Fellowship.
Not exactly run-of-the-mill stuff.

Now this lady has brains.

- And she made sense?
- I really wanna learn.

I don't think anybody has made
something more interesting to me

since Dr. Steel taught
my first pathology course.

Now really, you gotta meet her.

Mrs. John Burnett.
Found by the housekeeper

when she came to work this
morning at approximately 8:30.

Body fully clothed.
Behind the wheel of the car.

Motor running.
Garage door closed.

Was the blood sample drawn?

Yep. Carbon monoxide
saturation was...

Don't tell me, 60%

67%.

Ah, no surprise.

Cherry-red color at the
dependent points of the body.

Lips also cherry red.

Skin sloughage.

Carbon monoxide poisoning
right out of the book, Sam. Suicide?

Well, that's what
it was logged as.

Well, this is strange.
Look at this swelling.

It's toxic. Almost septic.

Well, let's see what
we're gonna see.

Heart shows no
gross abnormalities

other than a cherry-red
discoloration of the endocardial lining.

Valves are intact.

In the abdominal region...

Sam, give me a
hand here, will ya?

Wow.

Three centimeters
below the pyloric ring,

there's an anterior perforation

approximately four
centimeters in diameter.

Everted gastric mucosa...

The edges of this thing look
like it just blew out and dissolved.

Sam, this is a hot, acute ulcer.

What was she doing
out driving last night?

That white, chalky
fluid, antacid?

Must be. But antacid
for an ulcer like this is like

using an eyedropper
to quench a volcano.

She should've
been in a hospital.

She's been in agony for weeks.

Could it be a stress blow-out?

Well, take a look, Sam.
No signs of trauma or injury.

Take a section of the edge here.

I wanna see just how
acute the reaction is.

How could an ulcer
like this go untreated?

I mean, what kind of crummy
doctor would let this happen?

No, no, Steven.

No, I understand. I
appreciate your call.

Quincy's performing
the autopsy now.

Well, it's only
speculate at this point,

but every indication is that the
cause of death is CO poisoning.

No, no, no Steven.

I really, I appreciate
your concern.

Right. Right.
We'll let you know.

Yes?

Excuse toe, Dr. Asten.
This is Mr. Burnett.

Ah, John Burnett.

- My wife was brought
here this morning...
- Yes, Mr. Burnett.

Yes. Won't you sit down.

Thank you.

- May I get you some coffee?
- No.

Thank you.

Well, I was away
business in San Francisco...

Just for overnight, when
someone from your office

telephoned this morning,
I caught the first flight.

This must be very
painful for you.

The police... They
say its suicide?

Well, it appears that way,
but we don't know as yet.

If only I hadn't left her alone.

She was always
complaining about her ills,

always taking some sort
of medication or another.

I just thought that... W
ell, I usually ignored her.

Maybe all she needed
was my attention...

To take her own life.

We don't know that
as yet, Mr. Burnett.

In any case, you
mustn't blame yourself.

I'm sorry, forgive me. Look,
we have to get into that...

Oh sorry. I didn't
know you were busy.

No, no. That's all right.

Um, this is John Burnett,
Mrs. Burnett's husband.

Dr. Quincy is handling
your wife's case.

How do you do?

Was you wife under medical care?

What has that got
to do with anything?

Yeah, Dr. Steven Chase.

Oh no, it couldn't have
been. I heard him last night.

He would have had her in
the hospital a month ago.

Well, she changed
doctors many times.

I never paid enough
attention to know.

Why would you mention this now?

Because his wife
didn't commit suicide.

Oh, she died of carbon
monoxide poisoning, all right.

But only after she had been rendered
unconscious by acute peritonitis

and hemorrhaging caused by
an untreated perforated ulcer.

Now whoever her doctor was, he
should be brought up on charges

and kicked out of medicine.

I'm telling you,
this is a case of

gross negligence or
incomprehensible incompetence.

Even an intern would have
spotted those symptoms.

Dr. Quincy...

Excuse me.

I'm rather late for an
appointment, Mr. Burnett.

I think that's all we
can do for you now.

As soon as we
know more for certain,

believe me, we will be in touch.

Dr. Quincy, I'd like to
discuss this situation further.

Anytime. Just call me.

Thank you. Thank
you, Mr. Burnett.

Anytime, anytime just
call me, just call me.

How dare you, how dare you?

What's the matter with you?

Shoot off your
unsubstantiated opinions.

Our job is more what
done it than who done it.

Do you realize
he'll probably go off

and file a malpractice
suit against this doctor?

And he should.
Whatever witch doctor

was supposedly practicing
medicine on that woman

should be burned at the stake.

She went through
a living hell that lady.

I'm really sorry to hear that.

As for your information,

Steven Chase called
me before Burnett arrived.

And I know who
this witch doctor is.

Well, why didn't you say so?

Because the 'witch
doctor' in question, Quincy,

is the woman you admire
so much, Dr. Barrie Stoddard.

Just a sec. I'll
be right with you.

- Okay.
- Good! You took my suggestion.

Well, there's more to it
than that. I'd like to talk to ya.

Okay. Sure, let me
just finish up with...

In fact, please watch.

I'd like to show you a little
example of holistic healing.

I'd like to see it.

Okay Ernie,
anytime you're ready.

Who's he?

I'm Dr. Quincy. I'm with
the Coroner's Office.

Guess he figures if I wouldn't
go to him, he'd come to me.

Oh, Ernie's had three heart
attacks in the last four years.

Chronic high-blood pressure,
accelerated heart rate.

I was a doomed man.

What were his numbers?

Ah, let's see. Blood pressure,
one-ninety over one-ten.

Heart rate ninety-five. Yeah.

His doctor's had
him on metholdopa,

hydrochlorothiazide,
potassium chloride, you name it.

But all the drugs were doing
were alleviating the symptoms.

They weren't healing the man.

Now watch this.

See now, Ernie's
healing himself.

I took him off drugs
three months ago.

Healing himself?

I didn't mean to make
that sound bizarre.

What we're dealing with here
is not so much his disease,

as his dis-ease.

That sounded good
at the lecture last night.

Oh, there's nothing
mystical about it.

Ernie is training himself with
the help of the bio-feedback units,

to relax

and his ability to relax
shows on the monitors.

How am I doing, Barrie?

Real good. Keep it up.

And his heart rates down to 80.

Yes and he's trained himself

to control it without
the use of the monitors.

Well, what can I
say? I'm impressed.

70, 75 would be normal
for a healthy man.

- Yeah.
- I am healthy.

And I'm getting more
healthy every day.

So don't wait up
for me, coroner.

- But I do miss the junk food.
- Ah, you're incorrigible.

Listen, I do have
to talk to you.

- Oh good, okay.
- See ya later.

Okay, bye.

Yeah, I have been seeing her.

I've seen her about
three times, in fact.

We were doing some
holistic work together.

Well, the operation was a
success, but the patient died.

Not everybody has the time
to heal themselves like Ernie.

I mean, what good is your
medicine if you let some people die?

What are you talking about?

Well, you did know about
her gastric problems, didn't ya?

I assume the holistic
healers read medical charts.

- Yes.
- Then how were
you treating her?

Were you laying your hands
on her and saying, "Heal"?

Now, wait a minute...
Wait just a minute.

How dare you come in
here and talk to me like that.

I was your kind of a doctor

long before I was ever
interested in holistic medicine.

Now, if worse, I
would have seen it.

Well obviously you
didn't. The woman is dead.

From a ruptured ulcer that would have
taken weeks to become so deteriorated.

Well, that's impossible...
It's impossible.

She was nowhere
near needing surgery.

I saw Helen Burnett three days
ago. Her ulcer was improving.

I would stake my
medical reputation on that.

And you'd lose.

That would be like
betting on an instant replay.

But you have to be making
some kinda of a mistake.

Can I see her?
Can I see the body?

Of course, it's your handiwork.

This just can't be.
I examined her.

There was no indication
of an ulcer like this.

Did you check for
rebound tenderness?

There was none.

Irritation over her
upper abdomen?

Yes. Everything was fine.

Did you check for occult blood?

Yes! Doctor, I passed
my medical board exam.

There were no traces
of blood in the intestine.

I'm sorry.

I just can't understand how
something like this can go unnoticed.

Quince, I've got the
edge section you wanted.

Put it up on the
screen, will ya, Sam?

- Let's see what we have.
- Right.

We took a section from
the lower edge of the ulcer.

This is the damage that
you see as a result of it.

Acute perforations like that
would take weeks to evolve.

There doesn't seem to be
any evidence of regeneration.

What's your professional
opinion, doctor?

It looks like a completely
uncared for ulcer...

And it wasn't
there two days ago.

I tell you,
Dr. Quincy, it was not.

Well, we know the aspirin
didn't do it. We didn't find enough.

Then the only other way you
can get an explosion like that

is if you mix aspirin
with another irritant...

A steroid like cortisone.

- Sam?
- Yeah?

How long would it take to run

a Radio-Imuno Assay to
check her cortisol level?

Oh, maybe 18 to 24
hours. Something like that.

Okay. Let's do it.

That'll tell us whether
the perforations

were self-induced or natural.

We'll hold the
body for 48 hours.

That way we'll know
one way or the other.

Well, thank you for that.

This may come as a
surprise to you, Dr. Quincy,

but I do want to
know the answer.

What's the matter,
Quince, woman trouble?

Don't ask. What are you two
guys doing here, slumming'?

No. Just checking'
a couple a things.

Listen, is there
anything to this death?

No, not the way
you think of it. Why?

Well, we heard it looked like
suicide and we just wanted to be sure.

No, it wasn't suicide.
She died of natural causes.

Peritonitis. Her
ulcer just blew up.

Oh come on, will ya Quincy,
ulcer, please. Don't mention it.

- That's all I need to hear.
- Can I do something for it?

No, it'll keep. Here, I
got a present for you.

We picked up a kid this
morning trying to hock this.

Belongs to Mrs. Burnett.

Were there any medicines
in it? Anything at all?

No, it was empty.

Oh, can I talk to the kid?

Well, sure, sure. He's a
great conversationalist.

Sure I can't do
something for you?

Well, you're a bundle of laughs.

So long, Brill.

Dr. Chase. May I talk
to you for a minute?

I'm Dr. Quincy. I'm with the
medical examiner's office.

Oh, you did the autopsy
on Helen Burnett.

- How did you know that?
- Mr. Burnett called me,

very upset and with good reason
because his wife died of the ulcer.

That's what I wanted
to talk to you about.

She was your patient up until
about six weeks ago, wasn't she?

Yeah.

What was her general
health while under your care?

Did she have anything like arthritis
that would cause her to take cortisone?

Nothing like that.

No, she had allergies, muscle
spasms, migraines everything possible.

I mean, if she had a
pain in her little fingernail,

she would have told us so.

Yeah, but the peptic
ulcer was not imaginary.

You see when she came to
me with the gastric problem,

I treated her as I
ordinarily would.

I prescribed a mild
antacid for discomfort.

Then you discovered
there was an ulcer?

After I took the x-rays.

So, I treated her over a period
of time, watched very closely,

but it wasn't healing the
way I would have wanted.

So, I said to her look,
considering your age, your life style,

let me do a resection.
She had no part of it.

Was the ulcer severe
enough to warrant surgery?

In my opinion, yes.

I think time is for me now. If
Helen Burnett has had an operation

at the time I prescribed,
that she'd be alive today.

But no, instead she
chose Dr. Barrie Stoddard

and her, her
magical holistic ritual.

Which, as I'm sure you will
attest to, speak for themselves.

- I'm not so sure.
- What do you mean?

I haven't finished my
tests, and I don't believe that

Dr. Stoddard would ignore
symptoms of such magnitude.

She didn't ignore it,
she treated it holistically,

don't you understand?

She burned incense,
she mumbled mantras,

she said, "Oh think
happy thoughts."

She and her medicine
killed Helen Burnett.

As surely as if they
put a gun to her head.

Now as far as I'm concerned,

we've had enough of
that kind of medicine.

And by the time I am finished, we
will have had that medicine for good.

Look, I need 48 hours.

The patients in this hospital
that are being treated holistically

don't have 48 hours
to give you doctor.

If I had done what
I should have done,

Helen Burnett would be
standing right here alive today

and I'm not gonna
let it happen again.

The wheels are
in motion, Doctor.

By tomorrow night,
Dr. Barrie Stoddard

and her holistic medicine are
finished at Doctors' Hospital.

Count on it.

He should learn to speak up.

Don't push!

Shut up and get in
there and sit down.

We haven't got all day.

Sit down.

What were you doing' with this?

- What?
- This!

Oh this.

Yeah, sort of goes with
my eyes, don't you think?

We're not joking'
here, wise guy.

The woman this
belonged to is dead.

That could cause
you a lot of trouble.

Now, there were
probably some pills in here.

- Did you take it?
- I didn't take anything.

I'm talking about prescriptions.
Maybe something marked cortisone.

You know, I'm sort of getting
a stomach ache, do you mind?

Answer the man.

I found some aspirin.
That's all there was. Aspirin.

- Just aspirin?
- Yeah, aspirin.

There were no other pills there.

If there had been, I
would have taken them.

Believe me, I'll take anything.

Do you believe him?

Yeah, I believe him.

- Alright. Get him outta here.
- Okay, let's go.

Walt a minute.

What about something
for my stomach?

Yeah, yeah. I'll get you a
wet nurse. Get outta here.

Alright, let's go.

I don't understand, Quincy,
what's going on here?

I thought this woman
died of natural causes?

That's what everybody thinks.

Except me.

- You wanted to see me?
- Ah, yes, Dr. Quincy.

- Well, you know Mr. Burnett.
- Yes.

This is Mr. Burnett's
attorney, Mr. Heffron.

How do you do?

- And ah, Dr. Chase.
- We've met.

Well, Gentlemen, I would find
it useful ah, for my experience

to tape this conversation so
that if this case goes to court,

there's no question as to
who says what to whom.

Is that agreeable Mr. Burnett,
Mr. Heffron, Dr. Chase, Doctor Quincy?

- Yeah.
- It's okay with me.

Well, it's nothing complicated,
Doctor. We'll only be a moment.

I just want Mr. Heffron to hear
what you told me this morning.

- About your wife?
- Yep.

And then I'll draw up a
statement which I'd like you to sign.

Well, you'll have a copy
of the full autopsy report

when I've finished.

Oh, I'm afraid we'll need
more than that, Doctor.

In fact, we want your
very words, which were...

"Her physician should be brought up
on charges and kicked out of medicine."

"That this was a case of gross negligence
or incomprehensible incompetence."

Remember?

You freely admitted her
doctor as good as killed her.

You've quite a memory.

What is Dr. Chase doing here?

Using Dr. Chase's testimony,
along with your autopsy report,

we intend to institute
suit, Dr. Quincy.

Five million dollars for
malpractice and gross negligence.

We intend to see to it
that this Dr. Barrie Stoddard

and her holistic clinic

will never again have the
opportunity of killing anyone.

Well, how can you
be certain that she did?

Dr. Chase knows my
tests aren't complete.

If your tests show her innocent,

we'll withdraw the suit
and publish an apology.

Really. And where
you gonna do that?

On some back page?

After the headlines have screamed
"holistic doctor sued for malpractice"?

How's that gonna
help her. You'll ruin her.

Look, in less than 48 hours,
I'll have positive results.

Then you'll really know.

Ah, but we do know, Doctor.

I'll look forward
to your report.

When the final results
of your tests are in,

we'll be on the same side.

Now, the object of the exercise

is to try to get a very clear
mental picture of the pain

and sometimes, apparently
you have to do this

by picturing it as an
object, like a hammer,

or a hot coal or a knife.

Now, once you have a
picture you've created, right,

you can deal with it.

Someone once described
the pain of sciatica

feeling like a hot wire
running down the leg.

Now, how do you combat heat?

With cold, right?

Then imagine your leg
packed in ice and, thereby,

they were able
to relieve the pain.

I have to talk to you.
It's very important.

That's the object
of the ex-exercise.

Now, let's try an exercise.

Close your eyes,
try to get in your mind

a strong mental
picture of your pain.

Don't be stubborn.
Come on. Please.

It's very Important, will you?

Oh, she's a cute one,
all right, young man.

Don't let her get away.

I'm getting embarrassed.

Will you come out here, please.

Orderly to room eleven.

An orderly needed
in room eleven please.

This had better be important.

It is. Can we go into
your office, please?

Well, no. As a matter
of fact, Dr. Quincy,

I'm tired of going in office.

If you want to say something
to me, then you say it here.

Okay. If that's the
way you want it.

Helen Burnett's husband
just left the Coroner's Office.

He's filing suit against
you for five million dollars.

For negligence and malpractice.

Well, you're full of good
news today, aren't you.

Are you planning on
testifying on his behalf?

Boy, you are stubborn.
I wanna help you.

Well, how do you
purpose to do that?

You said yourself that Helen
Burnett died of peritonitis

as a result of an
acute, perforated ulcer,

that she developed
while under my care.

Well, maybe there's something
else, another condition, a trauma,

that caused the blow-out.

I went over all her records
as soon as I got back.

I've exhausted my resources.
I don't know what happened.

I can't help you.

Help me? I don't want you to
help me. I want you to help yourself.

Listen Quincy, the last
time I saw Helen Burnett,

her ulcer was healing.

She had no other
real complaints.

Dr. Stoddard, you have a minute?

Yeah, sure.

Uh, Dr. Quincy,
this is Dr. Benson,

our hospital administrator.

How do you do, sir.

Doctor, I'd like
to talk with you.

I know. Is this
about Helen Burnett?

Well, in a way.

It's, it's all right.
Dr. Quincy knows about it.

As a matter of fact,
he's trying to help me.

Very well. There've
been repercussions.

Dr. Chase?

He, and others.

We're holding a Peer Review
Committee the day after tomorrow.

Peer Review.

Yes, I'm afraid so.

To determine whether or not
the Clinic For New Medicine

should receive further funding.

What?

Now Barrie, I know it's
not my place to say this,

but it doesn't look good
for you or the Clinic.

Look, I haven't
completed my autopsy yet.

- Can't you postpone it?
- No, I'm sorry.

I'll do my best for
you. I hope I can help.

Thank you.

Well, what about you, Dr. Quincy,
why do you want to help me?

Are you interested in the
future of holistic medicine?

I don't know enough
about it to be sure.

Well, why then?

Now look, I don't care
what you call yourself...

Holistic healer, country
doctor, whatever...

I think you're good.

Until all the cards are
dealt, I want you to know

you are not alone.

Okay?

We've got it, Quince.

The Asisolyte Level still
only shows traces of aspirin.

Is there a lot?

No. Maybe 16 to 20
grains at the most.

Wait, no, that wouldn't do
it. Has to be something else.

What happened to
that woman's life, Sam?

What was she doing or thinking
or exposed to or subjected to,

to make a healing ulcer explode.

Got anything to do tonight?

- Just pile up the overtime.
- Let's change.

Well, that's it, Sam. I
don't know what else to do.

Tox screens come in yet?

Well, most of it, a little
aspirin, some mild tranquilizers.

In other words, nothing, huh?

Nothing that would
cause a blow-out.

Was she taking cortisone?

The Cortisol test won't be finished for
another six to eight hours at the earliest.

Well, there has to
be something Sam.

I know that Barrie
Stoddard wouldn't dismiss

or ignore symptoms like that.

She's just too good a doctor.

Quince, are you
sure you're not, well,

swayed by this woman?

I could be swayed by
Barrie Stoddard, the woman.

But not by Barrie Stoddard,
the doctor. I know I'm right, Sam.

I just know it.

- Thanks anyway.
- For what?

For being friend
enough to mention it.

Good morning, good morning.

Well, we're all here
bright and early.

It makes me feel good to think
the American work ethic still lives.

Big day! Big day!

Hello, Barrie. May
I talk with you?

Sure. I assumed
that you would say

everything you had to
say at the Beer Review.

Make no mistake
about it, I will do just that.

Not only here, also the
Medical Executive Committee,

and the Quality Board
of Medical Assurance.

I've sent letters of
complaint to all of them.

Is that what you
wanted to say to me?

No, what I want you to try to
understand is why I'm doing it.

You think I'm responsible
for Helen Burnett's death.

I think it is very simple.

No, not you, Barrie.

It's that holistic
medicine that killed her.

Now you know I've always
respected you as a physician,

as a person, that's
why I was so shocked

when you got
involved in holistics.

I mean, it wasn't like you.

It's my belief that you were so far
leaning toward this holistic business,

that you disregarded
symptoms of a serious condition.

No, Steven, I never
disregard any symptoms.

Barrie, I don't mean
disregard in intentions.

I know that you're a good
doctor, that you try to heal people,

that you don't want
to delude anyone,

but holistics is faddism.

It' not even a cut above
laetrile or megavitamins.

No, no, it's not. You're wrong.

If you would just open your
mind. Just give it a chance.

So we can have
more Helen Burnetts?

Barrie, I don't
know what to say.

I'm gonna have to
stop you and your clinic.

There will be no more
Helen Burnetts and that's final.

But, Quincy, the
mortuary needs the body.

- Now,
you've had plenty of time.
- But not enough.

Now, when I'm finished
with it, they can have it back.

What are they afraid
somebody's gonna steal it?

But I can't delay any...

Look, I've got
three tests cooking.

- When I'm done,
they can have it.
- Quince.

The Radio-Imuno
Assay is coming in.

This can't be.

430 micrograms.

Are you sure that's
right? That's very high.

High? That's
twenty times normal.

She must've been pumping down
cortisone like it was lemonade.

No wonder the ulcer
blew up in her face.

But why? We found no
arthritis, no collagen disease,

nothing that calls for
this kind of treatment.

What could be the reason?

Twenty times normal...
How about murder?

This is what you called
me all the way to read?

Yeah, well, look at it, will ya.

- Well I did, but...
- She was filled with steroids.

Her ulcer didn't
develop naturally.

It exploded because of all
the cortisone in the system.

I'm sorry, Dr. Quincy,

all this test result shows is that
Helen was under a great deal of stress

and that her body
over-produced natural steroids.

Well, of course, her
body produced steroids,

but not at this high a
cortisone level in two days.

- That's impossible.
- Just a minute. You say two days,

Dr. Stoddard says two
days. I say far more.

That's why Helen needed surgery.

She needed proper
attention and she didn't get it.

She got nothing but
that holistic nonsense.

I'm sorry, Dr. Quincy,
I can't buy it.

I'm not asking you to buy
anything. I'm just saying this

type of physiologic
production is impossible.

To get a reading like this,

that woman had to be eating
cortisone like it was candy.

Now look, that is your
opinion. You're entitled to it.

But I disagree. Under
high stress and trauma,

the body will produce
naturally at that level.

But Helen Burnett
received no such trauma.

She was living with
an untended ulcer.

Now, isn't that trauma
enough for you?

You've shown me nothing.

It Is still my opinion that Dr. Stoddard
and her holistic rituals are at fault.

And that's a fault

that will be taken care of
today at the Peer Review.

Taken care of and
dispensed with.

And if you haven't got
anymore proof than that,

you're not gonna change
anybody's mind at all.

Good day, doctor.

Well, I guess that's it.

I better get back
to the Daily case.

- I'm so far behind...
- No Sam.

Now that stuff got into
her stomach somehow.

I gotta find it,
prove it to him.

How you gonna do that?

What's that? You
brown-bagging it?

No, this is Helen Burnett's
medicines, I took it from her house.

We're gonna check every
one of these for cortisone.

There goes the Daily case.

Hold it, will ya.
Come on, here ya go.

I got it, I got it, I got it.

Quincy, how ya doing'?

Uh...

Nothing in the tablets
would have caused it.

How'd you do with the capsules?

Just some tetracycline,
pentobarbital, codeine and bromide.

Just as they were labeled.
Nothing to cause a blowout.

Well, that's what I figured.

The irritant had to come
from outside somewhere.

She was a professional patient.

She would know that
cortisone aggravates an ulcer.

How did it get inside her?

Dr. Quincy.

Yeah, Quincy, me, Monahan.

Listen, you know that guy
we picked up in the purse theft.

Well, he wasn't kidding'
about those stomach pains.

We had to rush him
over here to the jail ward.

I kinda figured
you'd wanna know.

You're darned
right I wanna know.

Did you find out
what caused the pain?

Yeah, probably
the food at the jail.

Will ya stop with the
jokes? I have to know.

Ah, you're such a killjoy. Wait
a minute, I'll put the doc on.

Doctor...

The kid who stole her purse
he's developed stomach problems.

You think it could've been
his taking the medicine.

- I can dream, can't I.
- Yes?

Ah, this is Dr. Quincy, with
the Medical Examiner's Office.

What's going on over there?

Well, the man began
complaining about a boring,

burning pain in his abdomen.

He was really hurting. I
performed a gastric lavage,

and irrigated his stomach
with a warm saline.

Well, did you find out
what caused the pain?

Beats me.

The last think that should've
been hurting was his stomach.

I found out what appeared to be
an antacid in the gastric contents.

He was full of it.

He had antacid in his
stomach, just like she did.

Doctor, this is very important.

I need you to take a
urine and a serum sample.

Hold on to whatever you
took out of his stomach.

- Tell Monahan to
keep the kid there.
- Got it.

I'm on my way. Thank you.

I kinda see a
little light maybe.

I'm having his gastric
contents sent over.

You test 'em for cortisone.

- Did you get the specimen?
- Yep. Here they are.

Ready to be run
over to your lab.

Thank you.

Get these over to
Sam right away, will ya.

- Maury.
- How do ya feel?

Somebody shoved a
drain pipe down my throat.

What'd you think you
ate that made ya so sick?

Nothing, I just ate aspirin.

C'mon, will ya.

Nobody stuck a tube down your
throat because of some aspirin.

I told ya, I just
ate the aspirins.

I was down by the pawn shop...

I figured I can hock the
purse for a few bucks.

I duck in the alley.

I cleaned out the bag
and I ate the aspirin.

Now, I can't take it dry

so I wash it down with some
of this white goop she had.

This goop, what
did it taste like?

Mint. It was pretty
good actually.

Is that the stuff
that made me sick?

I thought that kinda
junk was supposed

to be good for your stomach.

So did the woman
you stole it from.

- What did you do
with the bottle?
- I dumped it in the alley.

What else am I
gonna do with a bottle?

What alley? Where?

By the pawn shop
on Santa Monica...

Come on, will ya.

- Near Powell.
- Thank you.

This guy gets a steak
and all the trimmings.

Charge it to Astin.

- Brill, go with him.
- Alright.

Medium rare, baked potato,
sour cream, and chives.

It still has to be here.

The city hasn't cleaned
this place in a year.

You're telling me.

Yeah, you're not dressed for
scavenger hunting, but you never are.

Quince, maybe some kids came
through already and picked it up.

If they did, then Barrie
Stoddard hasn't got a chance.

Brill.

Open this bag for me, will ya?

Watch the glass, Quince.

Let's go... It's an hour
before the Peer Board.

Gentlemen, I don't think I need
belabor the point any further.

This case, and the Clinic For
New Medicine speak for themselves.

Having heard
what they have said,

I strongly urge
this Review Board...

To terminate any and all...

Please, excuse me
for barging in like this.

I've gotta talk to Dr. Chase.

Dr. Quincy, we'll be
finished here soon.

If you'd wait outside, please.

Yeah, but what I have to say
has a strong bearing on this matter.

- Steven?
- Well, it's all right with me.

We'll take a recess.

Well, what's so important that
you interrupted the Review Board?

The man who stole
Helen Burnett's purse

came down with
severe stomach pains.

This was found to be the cause.

Gastric bleeding. High cortisol
levels in both urine and serum.

Traces of steroid found in the stomach,
mixed with a solution of hydroxide.

An antacid?

Helen Burnett's antacid.
She kept it in here.

Traces of cortisone were
also found in scrapings.

Cortisone... Well, I
didn't prescribe cortisone.

How did it get mixed
up with that antacid?

I'm sure she
didn't put it there.

Is this your report?

Yes, but you can confirm
it with the police physician.

No, that's not
gonna be necessary.

This proves that Helen's cortisol
level was not naturally produced.

That's right. Her ulcer didn't
deteriorate over a period of weeks.

It was a matter of days.

It also proves that Dr. Stoddard was
in no way responsible for Helen's death.

Neither are you Doctor.

As you are all aware,

Helen Burnett was a patient
of mine for many years.

I became very fond of her.

When she died I felt
deeply responsible.

Whether or not it was from my
own impotence in the case or not,

I don't know.

Maybe there was more
that I could have done

to convince her to
have an operation.

I overreacted.

I blamed Dr. Stoddard
and her holistic medicine.

Although I honestly believed
them to be guilty, well, I was wrong.

When you read this medical
report from Dr. Quincy,

you will agree with me.

As far as holistic medicine is
concerned, I still feel the same...

I'm not convinced.

But for purposes of this
committee, for the record,

I want to state that
neither Dr. Barrie Stoddard

nor her holistic
treatment of Mrs. Burnett

was in any way responsible
for that lady's death...

No way... I withdraw
my complaint.

Well, in view of what
Dr. Chase has just said,

I see no reason for this
committee to continue.

Any objections?

Very well. This Peer Review
Committee is adjourned.

Oh, thank you, thank
you, thank you so much.

You're very welcome.

Well, listen, I'm gonna
celebrate tonight.

Would you please join
me. You've done so much.

Well, I have an errand to run.
May I take a rain check on it?

- Okay? Okay.
- Okay.

We'll do it.

Barrie. I ah, I'm sorry for all the
needless pain I put you through.

Oh, Steven, ah...

Dr. Quincy...

- Did you get it?
- Yeah.

This is it? Let's go.

Dr. Quincy...

Lieutenant Monahan,
Sergeant Brill, Mr. Burnett.

How do you do?

- Oh, come on in.
- Thank you. Mr. Burnett.

Well, what can I do for you?

Confess.

I don't understand.
Confess to what?

Murdering your wife.

You really shoot from the hip
with your accusations, don't you?

I seem to remember you accused
Dr. Stoddard of the same thing.

What is this, a habit of yours?

I was wrong and we both know it.

Dr. Stoddard has
just been cleared

of any responsibility
for your wife's death.

Oh, well my lawyers
told me no such thing.

He will. And if I were you,
I'd keep him on a retainer.

You're gonna need him.

Good bye, Dr. Quincy.

- And uh,
take your friends with you.
- It's not that easy.

Arthritis is very
painful, isn't it?

What you taking
for it? Cortisone?

This cortisone?

That's exactly what I take.

Where'd you get my prescription?

I picked it up at your
pharmacist on the way over here.

These are the same
cortisone pills you put in this.

Your wife's antacid.

They have the same binding
products and the same additives.

Well, that's absurd. You
took her antacid supply

with everything else. Did
you find any cortisone?

Why should I? You had
replaced it with pure antacid.

You're crazy.
You're only guessing.

I'm not guessing
about your wife.

She hurt, so she
took a little antacid.

Only this time she
didn't get any relief.

The cortisone made it worse.

So she took a little more
and the more she took,

the worse she felt, and the
worse she felt, the more she took,

until the ulcer blew up in
her stomach like a volcano.

Do you have any idea of the pain
and the agony you put that lady through?

I don't know what
you're talkin' about.

Maybe you'll know about this.

Your lawyer said your
wife was filing for divorce.

That means you
could lose all this.

That's more than enough.

If that's all you've
got, you've got nothin'.

You need more than guesses
and heresay to prove anything.

We got plenty.

You see, this isn't the end of
the investigation, Mr. Burnett.

This is only the beginning.

There's gonna be a Coroner's
Inquest, I'll see to that.

And with what I know,

and what Lieutenant
Monahan's gonna find out...

Well you did kill one woman,

and almost ruined the life
of another one, didn't you?

Did you think we were gonna
let you get away with that?

Do you wanna put some
clothes on, Mr. Burnett?

We're going downtown.

- Sure.
- You stay with him, Brill.

Right.

She's somethin' isn't she?

Ah, Quince, dynamite
and such a woman of class.

- Yeah, I know.
- But the guy?

I mean, what did
you bring him for?

Oh, forget about him, will ya.

See, there was some
bad feelings between them

and I wanted to clear the
air, make her feel good.

Now, don't forget when he leaves
then you bring the champagne, okay?

- And a little pate.
- Pate?

Oh yeah.

Listen, how you
doing with the case?

Oh, you mean Burnett?

Monahan's pickin' up all
kinds a things on that creep.

We got him nailed.
Now, don't forget

as soon as he leaves,
bring the champagne.

I won't forget.

Soon after someone
close to them has died.

How's the drinks holding...

Well, how... Just a minute, I'm
sorry, how does that help you?

Well, I did some investigative work
and I asked him about his recent past

and I found out that 17 months
prior to coming to me for treatment

his wife had died.

Hey, too bad you
can't stay around...

Oh, excuse me. This
is that holistic medicine.

Now this will interest you.

How do you treat
somebody like that?

Well, we stabilize the
tumor with chemotherapy.

- Right.
- And then we were able to work

on his emotional state and
that tumor regressed markedly.

Hey, you need
another drink there.

Dr. Quincy, you'll
agree with me I'm sure,

you can do anything you
want with statistics. Right?

- Yeah, sure. Yeah, but...
- Right. Now, the statistics you have

in your studies I'd have to read them
before I would agree with anything.

- Of course... I'd like you to see them.
- I'd like to see them.

Anytime, anytime. I've
got them at the office.

You wanna see them now?

Well, that's an invitation
I can't turn down.

Well, she doesn't
mean now literally.

- Let's go.
- This will just
take a minute, Quincy.

Really, we'll be right back.

Are you ready for your
champagne now, Quincy?

Toast.

Together, the matchmakers.