MovieChat Forums > Coma (1978) Discussion > Switching On The CO?

Switching On The CO?

posted 14 years ago by cannoli21
8 replies | jump to latest

How was the Carbon Monoxide turned on inside OR itself? Since surgeries were performed there without any deaths, did Dr. Harris just turn a dial or switch when nobody was looking?

[–] shrink54 14 years ago

Speculation (and spoilers): I think since they knew in advance who they wanted for parts (Sean, Nancy, etc) they already the gas flowing when they wheeled them into OR 8.

[–] Tin Tin-3 14 years ago

Watch the film. We see Harris turning on the CO with his pager prior to going into the OR. Something that's evidenced by the apparatus that Wheeler sees atop the gas line - looks very much like a radio-controlled device.

It's all in the film, guys!

[–] Stirchley 10 years ago

^I thought they said the gas was turned on by the radio dial?

[–] Nan00k 8 years ago

By a radio controlled switch box, prominently shown in two key scenes of the film: https://i.imgur.com/Y8nWmCv.png

But the real question should be why didn't Michael Douglas just turn the tank of CO off when he found it? Or disconnected or cut the hose...?

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It wants no straps. - Karl

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[–] MNRebecca (769) 3 years ago

Definitely needs clarification.

-If it's the radio, how come there aren't far more coma outcomes from OR 8?
-If it's the radio, how come nobody turns on the music during Susan's surgery?
-If it's the radio, wouldn't there be so many coma outcomes from OR 8 that the pattern would be obvious?

[–] MNRebecca (769) 3 years ago

Here are the numbers again.

Average rate of coma from surgery: 6 per 100,000 according to Mark Bellows.
Comas at Boston Memorial: 400 per year (Susan's database breach) per 30,000 surgeries (psychiatrist's figure).
Surgeries in OR 8: 5 or 6 a day or 1,305 per year figuring 261 work days in a year.

[–] thingmakersback (1383) 3 years ago

See the reply from Tin Tin-3, eleven years ago... Not the radio playing music... A radio control device. You have identified the reasons why it could NOT be the radio playing music (which is, incidentally, probably a tape player, as you could never trust a radio station to be playing the music you want when you want it and without annoying station breaks.)

[–] Tabbycat (878) 2 years ago

It’s a portable cassette tape recorder/player, common in the 70’s.