A woman gets her prescription filled at a pharmacist. The narrator describes the risk of an adverse reaction to sedatives, but suggests that in the event of an epileptic patient, the reward is greater than the risk. Patient takes off sunglasses while the pharmacist fills the prescription. Pharmacist pours pills onto a scale from large bottle and counts them out. Conversely, the narrator continues, someone who takes a sedative like phenobarbitol merely for tension might find the side effects too severe for their needs.