Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER 159 NEW DOCUMENTARY FILMS irly Diagnosis of Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis. jcleus with Simpl. for COI and Min of jalth. Technical Advisers: R. MacKeith, E. awlett Kellaher. Medical Director: Brian inford. Camera: Derek Stewart. eprinledby kind permission of the 'I^ancct') jmoN of action proposed by a Ministry, parularly where this involves Treasury authority, ings to mind a picture of long delays, punctual by interdepartmental memoranda. The inistry of Health is to be congratulated on ving abjured such routine in making its film r doctors on poliomyelitis. This film was con■fived only on the sixth of August; the idea was ered to the Ministry on the seventh; and on ; eleventh the Treasury agreed to meet its cost. le Ministry of Health referred to the Central ficeof Information, which handles film-making r Government departments, and a unit was mmissioned to undertake the work. On the elfth a final conference was held at the Ministry d the shooting script was decided; and that Tie day filming smarted. Three days later this is completed; and, from the end of August, the n is obtainable in all parts of the country, with ojector and projectionist, from the regional ices of the Central Office of Information, for owing to medical audiences. The film, entitled Early Diagnosis of Acute iterior Poliomyelitis, was made with the help Dr W. H. Kellaher, invoked as a consultant the Ministry', and of Dr R. C. MacKeith, who ted as adviser to the unit, which is directed by •Brian Stanford. With a running-time of about :een minutes, it opens with a graphic demonation of the recent age-incidence of cases in >ndon hospitals. After brief mention of the ual presenting symptoms (headache, fever, y( miting) it goes on to portray the common early mllDS: cranial-nerve palsies are beautifully illus3 ! ited, as also are the methods of eliciting spasm the muscles of neck, back and limbs; a word -:1 spared, too, for early changes in tendon re: • xes. Then comes a demonstration of lumbar. iincture technique, followed by brief observa; ■ >ns on methods of disposal of faeces, precau>ns by the attendant, isolation of doubtful err ses, and methods of spread ; finally practitioners h e adjured to notify cases, and when in doubt to ■■; nsult the MOH. ' Though the film is intended for the general ; actitioner there are no shots calculated to help m specifically in his encounter with the disease the home — apart from one showing a houscife protecting her food from flies, and another Mlraying a doubtful case comfortably isolated a garden. The practitioner would welcome ■me suggestion of the time-sequence, which ould lend itself to visual presentation. Perhaps, •O, he would like an explanation of how the tendant precautionary steps, illustrated in the m by masked and gowned nurses and doctors, t to be applied in the home; and especially he ants to know what advice to give the families f established or unproven cases. As a rule he ill not be undertaking lumbar puncture. If the agnosis is in doubt (and it is on this score that le film advises the procedure) he is likely to I the patient to hospital. Always, except occasionally deep in the country, lumbar puncture should be undertaken in hospital, where the risk of infection can be minimized: this is made clear in the spoken commentary which accompanies the film. Minor Electrical Repairs The Electric Iron The Generation of Electricity The Transmission of Electricity Merton Park for BEDA. Producers: F. A. Hoare and Winifred Holmes. Directors: Graham Murray and Neil Brown. Cameras: Charles Marlborough and H. Hall. Scripts: Neil Brown. Animation: T. R. Thumwood. Distribution: BEDA. 10 min. each. Minor Electrical Repairs shows how replacing a fuse and repairing a broken flex can be simply done and gives reasons for the procedures. The Electric Iron is divided into two parts: how the iron works and how to use it, and includes a very clear explanation of the thermostatic control. The Generation of Electricity relates the movement of a magnet in a coil to generators and power stations, while the Transmission of Electricity carries on the story, describing how a transformer works and how current is distributed over the country by the grid. In each film the solid teaching is well done by the animation. What is not so happy is the w jv the pill has been sugared. It looks as if the producers could not make up their minds whether to go all out for a full film technique or whether to confine themselves to a simple informational method. The idea of the family coping with the broken wire is itself quite good, but it is clumsilv related to the ghost voice giving its explanations and exhortations; in fact, as treated, it is appallingly smug and irritating. Part One of the electric iron, on the other hand, is a straightforward instructional film which achieves its purpose, but Part Two is rather the salesman demonstrating his latest model. The films will certainly be welcome in schools: their best points are that they deal with one subject at a time and that they avoid, albeit somewhat clumsily, the sledgehammer blows of verbal logic. They constitute an interesting experiment at a time when experiments are badly needed, and thus make a valuable contribution to the still small supply of films made directly for the classroom. A VISUAL AIDS EXPERT IN PRODUCTION FOR RELEASE DURING 1947 FOR SCHOOLS PENICILLIN (Three Short Films) AMMONIA LIME SALT OXYGEN (16 mm. Kodachromat FOR INDUSTRIAL TRAINING THE PAINTING OF BUILDINGS THE TECHNIQUE OF SPRAY PAINTING SHOT-FIRING IN COAL-MINES (16 mm. Kod.ch.-om.) FOR VETERINARY AND PHENOTHIAZINE PAYS A DIVIDEND AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION (Parasitic Worms in Farm Animals) (16 mm. Kodichrom.) FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION Six subjects in 16 mm. Kodachrome •*• Release dates will be announced IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED NOBEL HOUSE LONDON, S.W.I