This black & white educational film “The Concept of the National Foundation” promotes the work of the National Foundation, now better known as the March of Dimes. The film shows researchers and doctors at work to fight viruses, with Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine featured. This is circa 1951/1952. The March of Dimes continues to work to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to combat polio. The name “March of Dimes” was coined by Eddie Cantor. After funding Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, the organization expanded its focus to the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality.
Opening: The Concept of the National Foundation (:06-:17). A baby crawls. Cells divide. Cells moving around, a virus invades and attacks cells. National Foundation President and friend of FDR, Basil O’Connor, speaks from his desk. In cooperation with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he started two foundations for the rehabilitation of polio patients and the research on polio prevention and treatment (:18-3:00). University of Michigan, a doctor does an experiment with cells. He tries to figure out how a virus takes over a cell and why. Three men stand in front of a blackboard and break down the facts. University of Buffalo, Sherman Hall, doctors study anti-bodies. Auto anti-bodies are researched. Men in a laboratory. A doctor smokes a cigar in the lab. In Massachusetts, proteins are studied. A police officer lays on a bed. Blood is divided into plasma and cells and studied by doctors. Blood proteins are studied. Cleveland’s Western Reserve School of Medicine, associate dean, Dr. John Caughey speaks (3:01-8:00). Nurses work with patients stricken with polio. Dr. Jonas Salk, developed the first successful polio vaccine, confers with another doctor. Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. At this hospital, a child has mechanical devices on his arms to deal with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The boy is carried in and two doctors look at him. His father watches. The boy clutches the doctor’s finger. Dr. Henry G. Kunkel at the Rockefeller Institute. A child walks with leg braces. Another child has an open skull syndrome. A little girl has water on the brain. St Louis University, School of Medicine. A nun studies cells (8:01-11:04). A doctor studies virus invasion of cells. Cells are looked at through a magnifying glass. Vice President of Rockefeller Institute, Dr. Frank Horsfall, speaks (11:05-13:32). Doctors at work. Profiles of doctors’ faces (13:33-13:58). End credits (13:59-14:06).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
