s ▁l ym ph oc emia ", ▁the ▁disease ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁episode , ▁was ▁invent ed ▁by ▁the ▁writers , ▁but ▁its ▁characteristics ▁are ▁real . ▁He ▁elabor ated ▁" We ▁just ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁imply ▁that ▁individuals ▁working ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁could ▁c ure ▁it . ▁We ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁ir respons ible ▁to ▁people ▁with ▁the ▁real ▁disease ". ▁Some ▁critics ▁have ▁noted ▁that ▁" B ell ini ' s ▁l ym ph oc emia " ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁Italian ▁phys ician ▁and ▁an atom ist ▁Lorenzo ▁Bell ini . ▁ ▁It ▁featured ▁one - time ▁guest ▁appearances ▁by ▁actors ▁Chris ▁E ig eman , ▁Maria ▁D izz ia , ▁Mar jan ▁N es hat , ▁William ▁Hill , ▁Lisa ▁Em ery , ▁Robert ▁Eli , ▁and ▁Alo k ▁T ew ari . ▁E ig eman ' s ▁David ▁E ster bro ok ' s ▁assistant ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁Elizabeth ▁Sar no ff , ▁a ▁television ▁writer ▁and ▁producer . ▁Some ▁of ▁her ▁work ▁includes ▁Lost , ▁another ▁series ▁created ▁by ▁J . ▁J . ▁Abr ams . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁opening ▁scene , ▁a ▁" special ▁kind ▁of ▁blood " ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁actors ' ▁eyes ▁to ▁simulate ▁their ▁bra ins ▁bo iling . ▁For ▁the ▁scene ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁actress ▁is ▁pushed ▁up ▁against ▁a ▁glass ▁door , ▁the ▁special ▁effects ▁department ▁created ▁a ▁device ▁we aring ▁a ▁brown ▁w ig ▁with ▁an ▁explos ive ▁charge