Horsepower and Hydrocarbons (UCLA, 1965)

The film examines the contribution of motor vehicle exhaust to atmospheric pollution, with particular reference to the situation in Los Angeles, where topographical and climatic conditions there produce the effect of photochemical smog with the burden of vehicle exhaust in the air. The effects on human health are shown: experiments with animals and human volunteers are explained and the adverse effect upon plant life demonstrated. An estimation of the cost in economic and human terms is provided for California and the US as a whole.

Seeing Diseases: Visual Sources and the Meaning of History (NLM, 1990)

During this lecture on "images as cultural history," Dr. Sander Gilman traces the changes in visual representations of persons who are diseased from the eighteenth century through the twentieth century. He focuses on the imagery of psychiatric illness using an array of paintings, lithographs, drawings, and illustrations. Beginning with Hogarth's "The rake's progress" (18th century) and concluding with images representing persons with AIDS, Dr. Gilman provides provocative reasons for using images to study changes in perceptions of health and disease over time.

Future of Books in a Digital Age (HMD Lecture by Michael F. Suarez, 2012)

In this lecture, Dr. Suarez uses developments in a variety of disciplines--art history, museum studies, natural history, and even recent trends in education--to enrich understanding of how digital surrogates can and cannot serve as adequate substitutes for printed books. Recognizing that the digital environment is changing the shape of human inquiry and, hence, the structures of human knowledge, Suarez approaches the world of surrogates both as a bibliographer/book historian and as an editor of digital texts.

Centennial Physicians Lecture : Marquee Honoree Dr. Michael Debakey (2019)

This lecture was one of several events held in 2019 to celebrate the centennial of Houston Methodist Hospital. Several speakers honored the legacy of Dr. Michael DeBakey, a world-renowned cardiologist who was instrumental in the development of the hospital and its cardiology unit. Speakers include Marc L. Boom, MD, Michael J. Reardon, MD, Craig A. Miller, MD, and William L. Winters Jr., MD. Dr. Miller presented the main portion of the lecture in his talk Through a Distant Lens: Images of the Life of Michael E. DeBakey, MD, followed by a question and answer session.

Distant Drummer, Bridge from No Place (Airlie/GWU, 1969)

This film describes the 1960s drug culture. Addicts discuss their experiences in the United States and in Vietnam. Dr. Stanley Yolles, director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), talks about the drug culture and the NIMH role in prevention and treatment. The tape describes growth in the use of marijuana and heroin. David Bazelon, chief judge, U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., clarifies the narcotics laws. The state of California's attempts to develop a civil commitment program focused on treatment rather than punishment are described.

What Did You Take? The Drug Abuse Emergency (NY State Dept. of Health, 1971)

Stresses recognition and treatment of drug abuse emergencies, accurate identification of symptoms, and immediate clinical procedures. Presents scenes of actual cases in the emergency room and adjoining physician's offices of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Viewers observe emergency treatment of patients in the major classes of drugs commonly abused, opiates, depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. The film demonstrates to health professionals that successful management of drug overdoses can save most lives and avert additional organic and psychiatric complications.

Distant Drummer, Flowers of Darkness (George Washington University and NIMH, 1972)

This film traces the use of the opium poppy from the Mediterranean in 4000 B.C. through the British and American opium trade with China in the 1800s to the modern era. Charles Siragusa talks about the international heroin trade and estimates that two tons of heroin is smuggled into the port of New York each year. Vernon Holm, a customs agent, describes how private yachts and airplanes are used to smuggle heroin. There are an estimated 60,000 addicts in the United States. Heroin is primarily found in ghettos, with gangs and the Mafia.

Narcotics, Why Not? (Charles Cahill and Associates, 1966)

This film presents a series of extemporaneous interviews with teenagers and young adults who have taken narcotics for "kicks," "association," or "curiosity." Residents of the California Rehabilitation Center relate how they were introduced to narcotics, why they wished they had not used drugs or narcotics, and what the future holds for them. Film is shot in Hollywood, Calif.

Drug Talk (National Institute of Mental Health, 1972)

This film explores the dangers of various drugs, and looks at methods of reaching youth in school to educate them about such dangers. Includes the police lecture, the ex-addict, the youth organizer, and the "rap room." Anti-drug program organizers seek students' perspectives and knowledge about drugs. Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101646428(link is external).

Narcotic Deaths, parts 1 and 2 (Emory University and National Medical Audiovisual Center, 1969)

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the types of narcotic deaths and drugs encountered by Dr. Milton Helpern in his post as Chief Medical Examiner for New York City, and to describe internal and external body changes resulting from narcotism. This objective is achieved with the use of photographs of overdose victims and the equipment found and used by addicts. The importance of noting the circumstances under which the body is found and the condition of the body to aid in establishing the diagnosis of death from narcotism is stressed.

LSD: Insight or Insanity (Max Miller, 1968)

The life of the typical teen in the late 1960s is presented, with rebellion and experimentation in clothes, hair, and extracurricular activities discussed, along with peer pressure and the effect it can have on teens. The dangers of drugs, and LSD in particular, are described, with doctors, scientists, and geneticists discussing the possible effects of LSD on the body, including chromosomal damage that can affect future generations. The impact on fetal development in animals given LSD is shown.

America on the Rocks (Airlie Prod. and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1984)

This program on alcoholism begins by examining motivations for drinking alcohol in moderation in social, family, religious, and business settings, which are then contrasted with excessive drinking and alcoholism. Examples are given of how this affects work performance and exacerbates social problems in general, plus how many Alcoholics deny having a problem. Ways to combat the problem are shown, including treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy, as well as preventive measures such as education. The film opens with people drinking in several different situations.

Current Trends in Therapy for Narcotic Addiction (USPHS, 1969)

Narcotics addiction, as seen by Dr. Daniel H. Casriel, is basically withdrawal behind a chemical as a response to stress, a condition requiring intensive psychotherapy. This method of treatment is used at Daytop Village, New York, where patients live in a therapeutic community for approximately one and a half years. Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe, Director, Drug Abuse Program, State of Illinois, Department of Mental Health, questions the psychiatric approach and discusses methadone treatment of addicts in Chicago.