Scope archive films compilation.

The first film on this compilation is J.A.V. Bates' re-edit in London, 1960, of neurologist Eduard Gamper's original 1925 film made in Innsbruck, 'The Mid-Brain Infant'(black and white, silent, 8 min.). Gamper's original film was of a three month old female infant born without a forebrain which he had admitted for study at his Klinik. The film illustrated, in detail, her behaviour and anatomy, and this recording established Gamper's Sign (i.e. sitting from lying when traction is applied to the feet - which became one of the signs of severe brain damage). Dr. Bates suggested in the late 1950s that this film be revised to create an aid to the study of neuromuscular behaviour in early life. With the help of The Spastics Society and Dr. R.C. MacKeith this was done by repeating Gamper's brief shots three times and including, for comparison, shots of a normal infant and descriptive intertitles. The second (colour, sound, 13 min.) was made for The British Council for the Welfare of Spastics and is entitled 'Cerebral Palsy - Early Recognition.' It shows a doctor examining children from ages 14 months to 10 years old and compares their abilities with those of normal children the same age. The third film was made by The Midland Spastic Association - 'Physiotherapy for Spastic Children'(colour, sound, 20 min.) and shows children with cerebral palsy at Carson House School in Harbourne having physiotherapy. We see from older film of the same children how this treatment has helped them. The fourth film (colour, sound, 7 min.)is introduced by Susan Hampshire, entitled 'Every Baby's Birthright' and aims to cut down on the number of preventable spastic births each year. The fifth film (black and white, sound, 15 min.), 'A Happy Human Being' is about Bill Howe who took 11 years to write a book about his life in an institution where he was considered bo be an imbecile spastic. Important scenarios from his life are re-enacted and we look at his day to day life. The final film, 'Spastics?' (black and white, sound, 13 min.) looks at a typical family dealing with a young son with cerebral palsy.