Ladies and gentlemen!
Today, you will see one of our great young surgeons in action.
A young man famous for performing
over 1,000 amputations and lithotomies.
A celebrated surgeon, a knife of the night.
A true pioneer.
So, without further ornaments,
or adornments on my part,
let me now finally,
and without any further hesitation or reservation,
introduce you to
Mr Robert Lessing!
Good afternoon.
I'm always astonished that my humble skills
can bring in such a large and distinguished crowd.
Hello, Sally, you in again?
The sad fact is that 40% of the operations
that happen in this room do unfortunately end in death.
If that is something you're unable to contend with,
gentlemen, ladies, please,
I suggest you leave the theatre now.
Thank you, Peters. Let me introduce you to our patient today.
A Mr Joseph Smiles.
A brave haberdasher of this borough.
Now, Mr Smiles, let's tell the ladies and gentlemen
what happened to you.
You broke your leg chasing a thief across London Bridge.
That's right, mister.
My personal speed record for a full amputation of the leg
above the knee is 92 seconds.
In order to minimise the amount of pain Mr Smiles suffers,
I intend to break that record today.
This is more fun than Madame Tussauds.
Ben, thank you so much for agreeing to do this again.
It should be more enjoyable for you
than when you tried that chloroform.
0h, John, darling, my tooth's hurting something rotten.
Can you have it out?
Annie, I'm just in the middle of something,
- can you come back tonight? - No, I've got customers tonight.
Can't you smash it out now? Oh...
You won't want to work after I've pulled your tooth.
I've got to, ain't I?
- Will you pay me this time? - Pay you in trade.
Did I hear someone talk money?
Butterworth. How are you?
All the better for that.
You got the money, Mr Sutton, for the doings, for the arsenic
and the bleach powder and the rest of it?
Got the sue?
I do, yes, of course.
I don't have it currently here with me.
Oh, that's a shame.
Cos Mr Walker said if you said that,
I should stand on your head and jump up and down a bit.
Then break your wrist.
Yes, well, I see. How about, um...
Have you two met? Annie, this is Mr Butterworth,
Mr Butterworth, Annie.
How about... Annie, if I pull your teeth now,
rather than be in my debt,
how about you offer Mr Butterworth here some trade,
so to speak, and Mr Butterworth,
you and I could consider that treat as some form of down payment?
Fair dos.
Do I get my pipe sucked before you smash her teeth out?
I'll let you two fix the details.
Coat's disgusting.
Some say the more bloody the coat, the greater the surgeon.
I will first slice through the flesh before sawing.
Brandy, please, nurse.
Cigarette.
I like to smoke during the operations.
The smell of gangrene can be terrible.
- Sorry, mister. - Mr Smiles, may I operate?
Well... I'll take that as a yes. Time me, Sue!
Get off! Get off! I want my leg!
- No, you don't, it's going to kill you. - I like it!
You cut his ballock off!
It's his own fault, hold still. Pick it up.
This is good, isn't it?
Where is it?
Bite on that.
Please, trust me.
Found it!
What happens if you try to stop him cleaning himself like this?
He gets violent and l have to hit him with my big stick.
Have you tried talking to him?
To try to ease his troubles?
He's demented.
I think if you treat people like an animal,
they'll behave like an animal.
So you're saying I should treat him like an animal.
No, I'm saying maybe don't...?
Ah, Dr Hendrik? Dr Hendrik, may I have a word?
And you are?
William Agar. One of the new alienists.
You're a mad doctor, are you?
Yes. In fact, you appointed me.
Oh, you work here, do you?
Yes, in the asylum. That you opened?
I wanted to ask whether I might have permission to take Tom Birch
out for the day to the park.
Tom has an obsessive compulsion for cleanliness
and can often become violent.
- As a result, he's frequently beaten by the guards. - Good!
I'd like to attempt a new form
of Belgian therapeutic treatment with Tom.
I'd like to talk to him.
Are you a Jew?
Sorry?
If you are, I'll put you in my book.
- I'm not a Jew. - Are you certain?
Fairly certain.
I'd like to talk to Tom to try to understand what plagues him.
I'll put your name in anyway. To be on the safe side.
Caroline! Were you hoping to find your husband?
- I believe he's still operating. - I know.
No, no, it's you I wish to see.
- Oh, it's so... - Oh, dear!
Whatever's the matter?
We had another one of our arguments.
I don't know if I should be talking about this.
Please be assured that the relationship between a patient
and an alienist happens in the strict confidence.
If I can understand, Caroline, perhaps I can help.
I feel like I'm a bad wife.
I'm often overly wilful and disorderly.