Reel and Slide (Jan-Sep 1919)

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REEL and SLIDE 13 Scientists Film Physiology of Heart Prof. Herm of American Museum of Natural History Describes Unusual Production Twelve Hundred Foot Reel Creates Interest Among Most Conservative Students Prof. By Charles F. Herm (Assistant in Physiology, American Museum of Natural History) IT was years ago that, while surveying the cinematographic field and investigating its usefulness in the biological and medical sciences, I also realized the possibilities afforded by micro-cinematography for the demonstration of living tissues and lower organisms. I have since made a special study of the matter, devoting much time to the development of this new branch of biological work. As most of my laboratory work concerned the study of living tissues, the opportunity seemed at hand to introduce the production of scientific motion pictures in the department of Physiology at the American Museum of Natural History, which would have enabled me to demonstrate the results of my investigations immediately by means of cinematographical representation. It was clear to me that the already existing films on evolutionary and physiological processes in the animal and plant lives could not compete with what I proposed to produce. Those films simply show processes which are easily accessible to the general observer, while my own films would represent such physiological processes, perceivable only by close and skillful observation through the microscope, and with the aid of subtle scientific technics. In December, 1916, I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of a man who was very much interested in biological cinematography, Mr. Alessandro Fabbri. One afternoon Mr. Fabbri stepped into my laboratory when I had just prepared a living tissue culture of heart muscle. I invited him to look through the microscope and to tell me what he was seeing. A few of his characteristic remarks expressed the astonishment of Mr. Fabbri, when he observed the rhythmical contraction of a piece of heart muscle, which was removed from the animal body and had been incubated for six days in the laboratory thermostat. My visitor was so fascinated by my experiment that he offered me at once the use of his private laboratory, in order that I might realize my method in the production of biological films of such a demonstrative value. Produce 1,200-Foot Film By special arrangement with the Museum which had the sympathetic support of its president, Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborn, I was enabled to spend a few cheerful months of highly interesting work in the private laboratory of Mr. Fabbri, a laboratory which is completely equipped with all the facilities for such delicate and subtle work. Within a few months we produced a microscopical film of 1,200 feet entitled, "The physiology of the heart and the circulation of the blood of the chick embryo." All the finer details of the subject suitable for demonstration received proper treatment, including also a transplanted piece of heart muscle showing its rhythmical contraction six days after the transplantation had been performed. The film is unique in its composition and apt to render very valuable assistance to embryologists in the demonstra Herm at work in his laboratory at the American Museum of Natural History. Transplanted heart muscle, showing rhythmical contraction six days after the animal's death. tion of the physiological functions of the heart and various phases in the circulation of the blood. But before describing the picture proper, I shall make a few general remarks. Due to its utmost importance, the physiology of the heart and the circulation of the blood has attracted the attention of investigators from very early times. Far back in 1616 scientists studied it. William Harvey was the first to grasp the fact that the heart acted as a force pump to drive the blood in a circle through the blood vessels and back. Collaborates With Dr. Carrel Since the time of Harvey, physiological techniques have been remarkably improved. Many methods have been discovered to demonstrate the coarser functions of the heart and the vascular system. But not until microcinematography attracted the attention of modern physiologists has it been possible to publicly demonstrate the finer details of this phenomenon. Now, realizing this fact, my present concern and greatest interest is — as you may infer from the above statement — the production of scientific films of the highest biological and physiological order. My first experience in this new line of endeavor had a great fascination for me. My ideas at first seemed to be only dreams and illusions to my fellow colleagues ; still, I steadfastly maintained that it would not be_ long until scientific motion pictures would cease to be a novelty to the modern biologist, but were bound to become a great factor in biological research and take an important place in real educational work. So I decided to make this my life work and gain an understanding of the various subjects that would win for me the respect of those that would use films of such character. As I gained experience and knowledge in the art of picture production, my thoughts turned to the possibilities to use the living tissue culture — the technique of which I acquired while scientific assistant to Alexis Carrel, at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research — for the various motion picture problems, and produce films demonstrating the finer details of physiological functions of living organs and tissues. About nine months after my first experience I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. A. Fabbri, when we decided to produce a picture demonstrating the physiology of the heart and the circulation of the blood. The first scene in this film demonstrates the necessity of carefully marking on the shell of the egg the date and hour at which it is placed in the laboratory incubator, in order to obtain an embryo of known age. A constant temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit is maintained. The second shows us that after 48 hours the egg is removed from the incubator and after being carefully opened is placed in a petri dish, embryo and vascular area uppermost. The embryo and vascular area is now dissected from the yolk and transferred to a large culture chamber, which is sealed with a cover glass by means of hot paraffin and placed under the micro-cinematographic apparatus. Then, I explain that the circulatory system of the early embryo consists of branching tubes, the arteries coming from the pump, the heart. After dividing into a fine network of .wing embryo old. hours