Late Summer 1930. It started in Wichita, Kansas: a staggering gait called the Jake Dance. (we see a man staggering along using a cane in each hand.) There are many different kinds of alcohol, but the only kind that is safe to drink is ethyl alcohol; many people had been drinking Ginger Jake, which is contaminated with methyl alcohol, also called ""wood alcky."" And people who drank a lot of it often suffered permanent loss of muscle coordination, and developed a staggering gait called the Jake Dance. Many died. In Wichita, 1% of the adult population was stricken. So the U.S. Health Department calls for its top guns: Associate Surgeon General Dr. Victor Garr (about age 50, with a lot of experience and a deep care for patients), and his assistant, Dr. Daniel Gifford (about age 30, inexperienced and has a habit of always doing things by the book). Right now, they are swamped with hundreds of patients in the hospital. Dr. Garr sees his sidekick going over some notes. Dr. Garr sna