Home Surgery: Gunsmoke (June 23, 1957)

“Home Surgery” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast June 23, 1957. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A young boy and girl are stranded at a remote homestead with the boy's father, who has a badly infected leg wound from a horse accident. As fever sets in and infection spreads, they desperately need a doctor, but the nearest one is days away and their only wagon has been taken by a drifter named Ben who promised to find help.

A remote homestead in the Kansas territory, away from Dodge City

Characters: Marshal Matt Dillon, Chester, John Hotley, The boy, The girl, Ben

Listen for: Matt Dillon and Chester debate whether an untrained man can perform emergency surgery to save a life, and discussions of infection and fever as the leg wound worsens.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.