Plot: Radar writes home, describing the monthly foot inspection by Hawkeye, and Mildred Potter's premonition of Col. Potter's getting shot in the backside.

Radar describes having a guinea pig and says that he finally got a pet. Finally? What did he call all of those other animals he had?

I think this is the episode with one of my favorite lines by Radar. Something like, "I'm typing slow because I know you can't read fast."

How big does the 40077th look? Radar says Hawkeye has to inspect the feet of 200 people. The camp has never looked like it held more than 50 to me. And out of that 200, there are only four surgeons?

This may be the first episode in which Father Mulcahy says that Hawkeye would have made a fine priest. He also tells Hawkeye that in "Private Finance".

"I think this is the episode with one of my favorite lines by Radar. Something like, 'I'm typing slow because I know you can't read fast.'" - margie

Yep, Margie, this is the episode.

Well, maybe the 40077th is bigger than the plain ol' 4077th, Benn.

And out of that 200, there are only four surgeons?

Maybe - a pretty big maybe, I admit - surgeons competent enough to perform complex surgeries 'on the fly' are a scarce commodity?

Oh for cryin' out loud! I can't believe I made that mistake. Oh well. I guess it couldn't been worse. (Actually, I have done worse.)

I'd agree with your theory, Kerrie, except the Army can't be that picky. After all, they let Frank Burns operate. (Not to mention the series did sometimes show five surgeons in OR.)

How big is the doctor-to-staff ratio in normal conditions, anyway? I mean, how many trained Op. nurses, normal nurses, lab techs, x-ray, and so on support staff, plus administrative - the cook, radar, drivers, mechanics and so on - would you need in normal circumstances?

In this ep., the law about inspecting feet of the other sex only under supervision is obviously made up by hawk on the spot, because he adds "or you are killed with a hangnail". I get the feeling he wanted radar around to write the stuff down and just kid around generally.

In the movie, M*A*S*H we see a total of nine surgeons stationed at the 4077th. While I don't think the doctors should out number the rest of the staff, I would think there'd be more surgeons to a.) relieve a doctor in the O.R. and b.) to have a medic on duty 24 hours. M*A*S*H the series tries to convey that the doctors have their own shift in Post-Op, but there are far too many times when we see all four regular doctors gathered in one place, with no one but a nurse in Post-Op.

Plus the P.A. announcements; whenever wounded arrive, there's often a call for "both" or "all" surgical units to go on duty. What is the composition of those units? How many doctors in each unit?

"In this ep., the law about inspecting feet of the other sex only under supervision is obviously made up by hawk on the spot," - Constanze

I dunno. I've always taken it as being real. The same way doctors are required to have someone else present whenever giving a regular physical to a woman. I may be wrong, though.

Benn,

The same way doctors are required to have someone else present whenever giving a regular physical to a woman.

From what time has this been a law? And why anyway? I mean, a doctor gets to see all of the body, anyway. I can understand that its not easy being undressed in front of doctor (esp. somebody like hawk), but having somebody else present would only be more embarrassing for the women, I think (and besides, margaret is a nurse, anyway, so she should be used to seeing naked people.). Or do you mean there's a chaperone to prevent the doctors from molesting the women???

"Or do you mean there's a chaperone to prevent the doctors from molesting the women???" - Constanze

That's basically it, Constanze. Regrettably, embarrassingly in this country we do hve doctors who will take advantage of their patients and molest them. There have been numerous instances where dentists, for example, have molested anesthetized patients. Other doctors have similarly taken advantage of those in their care. Thus doctors are required to have someone else present to act as a chaperone. The chaperone is usually female.

As far as how long such a law has been in effect, I don't know. It may not have been in effect in th Fifties.

They have several scenes cut in this episode where Hawkeye meets Frank in passing and asks when he'll be ready for inspection. Frank keeps brushing him off.

They also show Col. Potter and Margaret preparing to take their trip to give medical care to some locals, loading up with medicine and blankets. Radar (I think) expresses concern for snipers and Pottor says something to the effect that "they'd never shoot at an old Regular Army warhorse." Potter then gives Radar some final instructions, including, "Don't let Burns have any whitewash. I don't want to see a single white rock when I get back." After they drive off, Frank comes walking up, bucket in hand. Radar says, "I'll take that, sir." Frank, disappointed, says, "He said no, didn't he?"

The words in Radar's voiceover do not match what he writes. He says a lot more than he writes.

Radar starts to tell about Klinger helping with the evacuation of the patients. Yet the story turns out to not be about Klinger, but about B.J. and the soldier who sells him the phony watch. Why mention Klinger at all?

In at least two other episodes Radar claims to be a vegetarian. Yet in this ep, among the food on his tray is ham.

In this episode, a North Korean enters camp and grabs a meal out of the Mess Tent. He takes the tray with him. In the ep, "The Life You Save", Hawkeye, who has been given Kitchen Duty, finds the camp is short some 25 trays. I wonder if enemy soldiers grabbing meals like the one in this ep did is why the camp was short. (I know Fahter Mulcahy said it was because the trays never existed, but maybe they did and were taken by the enemy?)

How lax is camp security that the enemy can walk into camp and grab a bite? Why doesn't Colonel Potter tighten security after this incident?

NANJAO: The book Frank was reading outside the Mess Tent was "FM 105-5 Manuever Control". Wonder how often that came in handy?

The letter Klinger writes to President Eisenhower seems to place this episode as occurring in January or February of 1953. (Ike has just taken office.) This is from the scene where Hawkeye inspects Klinger's feet, a scene that's been cut for syndication, I do believe.

Klinger is missing the nail on his left foot's little toe. Max claims he put his pinky in a pencil sharpener at the draft board. After two years, you'd think the mail would have grown back.

Buffalo chips!

Benn: After two years, you'd think the mail would grown back.
Snail mail. :-)

Why do two captains and a major share a tent while a corporal gets his own?

With 200 people, why do we never see any barracks?

After two years, you'd think the mail would grown back. - me

Nail. It should have read "After two years, you'd think the nail would have grown back." (Misspelled one word [badly] and left out another word. Tarim!)