Abdominal hysterectomy for pyosalpinx.

Hysterectomy for pysosalpinx

United States : [publisher not identified], 1916.

2 film reels (2 min. ea; 1 negative and 1 positive) : black and white, silent, 16 mm

Copyright previously owned by Clinical Film Co. Inc.

This film was originally purchased in 1928 from a lot of 80 films which were sold for £800 as "An Unique Collection of Medical Films". They were sold at auction by Steven's Auction Rooms Ltd. The catalogue says "that only four have been used, these are the only copies of these subjects in this country ". Inspection and viewing were possible at Cross Pictures Ltd. There are two letters in the department from Steven's Auction Rooms to different addresses (presumably both were working as buying agents for Wellcome) asking the purchaser to remove the items from the auction house forthwith as the goods were taking up a lot of space. The wording is virtually identical; one is to Mr Cummings of East Dulwich and the other to Mr Wilkes of Chiswick although in the latter's case there is an additional request "with regard to the Mummy Cases, the authorities will not allow us to retain these at our Rooms, and must be removed immediately". A signed agreement (with an annotated draft) exists transferring the physical ownership of the films together with the copyright to Joseph C. Smith of Acton. The original film materials were 35mm nitrate and were covered by the Westminster Fire Office for fire and burglary to the value of £5000. 40 years later (August 1969), information about the films resurfaces. A laboratory, Kay Laboratories, was asked by Wellcome to create a 16mm reduction on safety film from the nitrate material. The film which was selected for this test was 'Suprapubic Cystotomy' by J. Bentley Squier. The laboratory reported that it was too badly shrunken and "We regret that we cannot accept the responsibility of damaging the master material and do herewith return same". There are a few handwritten notes which reveal the fate of the material; '83,938 feet Cross 35,000 Basedow', "Do something about film store", "All found in a dangerously explosive condition and destroyed, 1970". However, judging by the rediscovery of this film in 2013, an earlier test transfer was made in January 1969 by another laboratory (George Humphries & Co). Alas, this is all that exists of the 'Cross' collection of 80 films; the evidence clearly points to the other material being disposed of together with the material shot by Dr Basedow in 1935 of the Australian Aboriginal people of the Arunndta Tribe.

Howard A. Kelly M.D.