The National Library of Medicine

Regional Medical Programs (NLM,1995)

The Regional Medical Programs (RMPs) were launched under President Lyndon Johnson in 1964-65. They spurred enduring medical advances, including coronary care units, regional trauma centers, and the practice of telemedicine. Nonetheless, RMPs were axed ten years later, following political machinations and a lawsuit. Produced by the U.S.

John Shaw Billings: The Early Years & the National Medical Library (NLM, 1983)

This film profiles the work of John Shaw Billings in the development of foremost medical library in the world. Born in Indiana in 1838, Billings attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, at age fourteen, graduating in 1857. He then attended the Medical College of Ohio, graduating in 1860. He joined the army at the start of the Civil War in 1861 and was assigned to the medical corps. He served in various capacities, most notably, as a surgeon at the Battle of Gettysburg. The letters to his wife present a graphic picture of soldiers' injuries during that battle.

President Roosevelt Dedicates NIH (NARA, 1940)

This videotape is a copy of a film of the speech given by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the dedication of the Bethesda, Maryland campus of the National Institute of Health on October 31, 1940. President Roosevelt, standing on the portico in front of Building 1, speaks about the role of government in promoting and stimulating research into cancer and other diseases, and the work of the Public Health Service and the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. DeBakey remembers: the evolution of the National Library of Medicine, 1942-1997 (NLM, 1997)

This video records a discussion between Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Donald Lindberg concerning the origins and evolution of the National Library of Medicine. Still photographs are used to illustrate the physical changes in the Library and the people important to the Library's development. Produced by the National Library of Medicine.

Men of Medicine (American Medical Association, 1938)

This is the story of doctors' and scientists' training, practice, research, discoveries, and place in the community and the wider health care system. The role of the federal government in funding medical care for those who can't afford it is presented as well, with proponents of socialized medicine, cooperative medicine, and complete nonintervention as advocated by the American Medical Association addressed.

Islamic Calligraphy (Mohammed Zakariya/National Library of Medicine, 1994)

This presentation by Mohammed Zakariya describes the art and technique of Islamic calligraphy. This form of writing was used in both secular and religious manuscripts, which Zakariya explains. He then demonstrates the production process of a single page of a calligraphic album, describing the materials used, their origins, and the various components of text and their meanings. Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collections/films.html

Medical Service for Industry (Standard Oil, 1954)

This film, produced by Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, explains the corporation's approach to company-provided medical services for employees in its hundreds of locations around the world. Because climate, culture, and type and prevalence of disease vary so widely, tailored approaches are called for. The Standard Oil program is described as a four-point effort: preventive, constructive, educative, and curative medicine.