Dr. Thomas Stockman is a respected resident of a coastal town in southern Norway where healing waters have just opened. His brother Peter is the head of the city, the police chief and chairman of the resort. The resort is extremely important for residents, as the influx of tourists promises to be a source of prosperity for the entire city. However, some time after the start of its work, Stockman discovers that wastewater from the sewage gets into the healing waters, as a result of which tourists who come for treatment get serious illnesses.
