Public Health and USPHS by The National Library of Medicine

This film starts with a look at the cultivation of tobacco and its role in the economy, and moves on to an examination of the many substances found in cigarettes, how those substances are transformed by burning, and the harmful effect of smoking on the body. Effects on the nervous, cardiac, and respiratory systems are described and shown with animated sequences. Animal experiments that illustrate the physiological impact of nicotine, tar, and other substances are shown.

After almost hitting Johnny Walsh with her automobile, public health nurse Linda Thorpe is introduced to the child by a local storekeeper. Linda recognizes Johnny as a newcomer to the area and, after hearing that his mother is pregnant, takes the opportunity to meet the family. During the visit, Linda persuades Johnny's mother, Mary, to see a physician for a prenatal check-up, during which a chest x-ray reveals she has an "unsuspected" case of tuberculosis.

This film illustrates the serious problem of syphilis, particularly as it affects American armed forces during World War II. It presents numbers of cases nationwide and in New York State in particular, comparing the figures to Scandinavian countries where the disease does not carry the same stigma and more people are routinely tested. Shown are the importance and relative ease of detection and cure, and a comparison to Denmark’s syphilis program specifically.

Celso-Ramon Garcia, M.D., moderator, Sheldon Segal, M.D., pro oral contraceptives, and Louis Lasagna, M.D., cautious on oral contraceptives, discuss this therapy in a round-table, studio setting. Two discussants and a moderator present positive and negative views on the use of oral contraceptives. In their favor, one out of every three American women of childbearing age is using them with apparently very little risk. They are easy, convenient, and contribute to the overall health of the woman. Unabated population growth is slowed. Metabolic changes cease when the drug is stopped.

This film shows how a public health nurse instructs a housewife in the care of a pneumonia patient, featuring such essentials as feeding the patient, back massage, bedpan warming and use, turning the patient in bed, changing linen, and disposal of discarded products. Produced by the New York Department of Health.

This film shows several cases of venereal disease, discusses symptoms, and explains how penicillin is effective in curing the disease. Scenes include: patients with lesions on tongue, back, lip, and penis; patients with loss of hair; ocular atrophy; paralysis; Charcot joint and x-ray of same; spinal fluid test; graphic test readings; shots of penis lesions before and after penicillin treatment; and gonococcus organisms before and after treatment with penicillin. Produced by the United States Public Health Service.

This presentation describes significant developments in the fight against Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The program begins with a description of efforts to determine the cause of the disease. Then studies on the biology and control of the tick are described. Efforts to destroy the tick on a limited scale by livestock dipping are detailed. The identification of the infectious agent in the body of the tick which led to the intensification of research and the development by Drs. Spensor and Parker of the spotted fever vaccine is discussed.

This film shows how a typical county rabies epidemic is checked by joint emergency control measures of the county health department, a state public health veterinarian, and a federal rabies control expert. Shots include: rabid dog; brain exam; news media campaign against rabies via loudspeaker on truck; posters, literature and signs; and dog being inoculated.

This film shows the work of the mobile syphilis detection and treatment unit of McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden counties in rural southeastern Georgia. The inside of the mobile clinic is shown. The films shows the route taken and the unit going into canneries, wood pulp factories, logging camps, country dance halls, elementary schools, and churches to treat patients with bismuth and arsphenamine injections. It shows both the Kahn and Wasserman blood tests and explains how to read the results.

The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate the problems and emotional crises faced by a family when the young mother contracts tetanus. This is achieved in a dramatized portrayal of her life and activities using a flashback technique. The program stresses the importance of immunization, which is virtually 100% effective. In this presentation the mother is shown critically ill in the acute stage of tetanus following a superficial skin scratch while gardening.