Professional Medical Film

The Professional Medical Film (PMF) series was a series of technical motion pictures produced by the U.S. Army from the mid-1940s through the late 1960s. The series covered psychiatric, surgical, and tropical medicine, radiation health effects, and other health topics in an American military medicine context. The intended audience was professional, active duty health care providers.

List of films

PMF 5000 (1947) - Preparation and Staining of Blood Slides, demonstration of laboratory equipment; preparation of stains; preparation of thick films for diagnosis of malaria (18 min; color). PMF 5001 (1947) - Colostomy Closure (End-to-End Anastomosis), surgical repair of left upper abdominal colostomy (13 min). PMF 5002 (1947) - Abdominal Colostomy Closure — Pauchet Method, case of well-functioning colostomy of double loop type located on left side in sigmoid colon; method used to accomplish closure; precautions (9 min; color). PMF 5003 - PMF 5004 (1947) - Intra-Abdominal Closure Descending Colon Colostomy (Herniations and Multiple Openings), colostomy of descending colon midway between umbilicus and anterior iliac crest with four separate openings resulting from damage to exteriorized loop of bowel; technique used to effect repair (15 min; color). PMF 5005 (1947) - Simple Closure of an Abdominal Colostomy, incomplete colostomy of transverse colon; relatively simple closure procedure; advantages of intraperitoneal approach (7 min; color). PMF 5006 - PMF 5007 (1947) - Intra-Abdominal Colostomy Closures (Right and Left Side), series of right sided colostomy cases; factors essential to adequate closure (9 min; color). PMF 5008 (1947) - Management of Abdominal Colostomies (Intraperitoneal Closure), experience record of cases encountered during WW II; factors essential to evaluation of each type; methods of approach (22 min; color). PMF 5009 (1947) - Operation for Varicocele, case of painful left varicocele involving anterior group of veins; surgical treatment similar in principle to ligation of saphenous vein for varicosities of lower extremity; technique (5 min; color). PMF 5010 - Amputation of Lower Extremity PMF 5011 (1945) – Psychiatry for the General Medical Officer, originally developed by the British and redeveloped by the U.S. Army. PMF 5012 (1945) – Combat Exhaustion, developed in the 312th Station Hospital in England by Col. Lloyd J. Thompson, MC, Col. Ernest H. Parsons, MC, and Maj. Howard D. Fabing, MC. PMF 5013 - PMF 5014 - PMF 5015 (1946) - Convalescent Care and Rehabilitation of Patients with Injury to Spinal Cord (Surgery and Physical Medicine), Diagnostic, surgical, nursing, and physical medicine techniques and practices (41 min; color). PMF 5016 (1946) - Thoracic Surgery — Part I: Hemothorax with Consideration of Specific Remedial Breathing Exercises (Surgery and Physical Medicine), Pathologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of hemothorax and other disorders of the pleura and pleural cavity (39 min; color). PMF 5017 - PMF 5018 - Thoracic Surgery — Part III: Foreign Bodies in the Pericardium and Heart, Diagnostic planning, surgical, and postoperative techniques (50 min; color). PMF 5019 (1946; unreleased until 1981) – Let There Be Light (58 min; b&w); Maj. John Huston's classic documentary on military neuropsychiatry; developed at Mason General Hospital; use of narcosynthesis, hypnosis, and group psychotherapy; Walter Huston narrates. In 1948, this film was remade with professional actors and retitled Shades of Gray (PMF 5047). PMF 5020 (1946) - Removal of Magnetic Foreign Bodies from the Eye, acceptable technique; handling of detached retina case (14 min; color). PMF 5021 - PMF 5022 - PMF 5023 - PMF 5024 - Amputation Prostheses and Their Uses, Part I: Upper Extremity PMF 5025 - PMF 5026 - Complicated Amputations: Case Reports PMF 5027 (1947) – Schistosomiasis, three types of schistosomiasis (snail fever); Geographical habitat, epidemiology, symptomatology, and general control measures; technical, clinical, and laboratory procedures for diagnosis and treatment of Schistosomiasis japonica (27 min; color). PMF 5028 (1947) - Sandfly Control, symptoms, methods, and treatment of skin diseases transmitted by sandfly; environmental sanitation principles essential to control (33 min; color). PMF 5030 (1946) - The Preparation and Insertion of Tantalum Plate (Cranium Insert), preliminaries essential to preparation and placement of tantalum plate; individual cases; salient operational features (30 min; color). PMF 5031 (1946) - Below Knee Amputation, Amputation method useful immediately after injury and in secondary repair of stump (14 min; color). PMF 5032 - PMF 5033 (1946) - Technique of Open Amputation, Procedure on below knee open amputation case; revision and final plastic repair performed six weeks later; through explanation of each specific step throughout two operations (11 min; color). PMF 5034 (1947) - Therapeutic Exercise, Introduction, Use of planned therapeutic physical movement for specific purpose (17 min). PMF 5035 - PMF 5036 - PMF 5037 (1947) - Abnormal Involuntary Movements, Activating and inhibitory influences on motor centers at various levels of nervous system; involuntary movement caused by losing control of ability to relax after certain types of lesions (24 min). PMF 5038 - PMF 5039 (1947) - Disorders of Gait, Coordination of motor power; motor power from muscles controlled by peripheral nerves originating in spinal cord; motor impulses from brain through pyramidal tract (27 min). PMF 5040 - PMF 5041 - PMF 5042 - PMF 5043 - PMF 5044 (1947) - Facial Palsy, Anatomy of facial nerve; detailed description of course of upper and lower neuron; results of lesions in some characteristic sites; treatment of facial palsy; spasm during regeneration of facial palsy differentiated from tic twitchings of other etiology (22 min). PMF 5045 - PMF 5046 - PMF 5047 (1948) – Shades of Gray (65 min, 51 sec); summary of experience in prevention and treatment of neuropsychiatric cases in WW II; mental disorders which may be experienced during training and combat; mild anxiety states; obsessive-compulsive neuroses; psychosomatic disorders; severe depressive reactions; paranoid psychoses (partly a re-dramatized version of U.S. Army Film Bulletin FB #184 ["Psychiatric Procedures in the Combat Area"], partly a remake [with actors] of PMF 5019). PMF 5048 (1947) - Arthropod-Borne Virus Encephalitides; Differential diagnostic measures; diagnosis, treatment, and control of Japanese B encephalitis; proper approach to investigation of problem (34 min). PMF 5049 - PMF 5050 - PMF 5051 (1947) - Therapeutic Exercise, Orthopedics (28 min). PMF 5052 (1947) - To Hear Again; General principles of rehabilitation for patients with impaired hearing (38 min; Film Reference). PMF 5053 (1947) - Therapeutic Exercise, Peripheral Nerve Injuries (16 min). PMF 5054 - PMF 5055 - Toward Independence PMF 5056 (1947) - Therapeutic Exercise, Thoracic Surgery; Physical examination; determining specific remedial activity; characteristic deformities; preoperative exercises; general surgical aspects; postoperative treatment routine; coughing; posture; progressive stages of exercises; heat and ultraviolet; measurements of range of motion; overcoming a definite weakness or loss of function; heavy resistance phase (29 min). PMF 5057 - PMF 5058 (1950) - The Medical Effects of the Atomic Bomb: Part 1, Physics, Physical Destruction, Casualty Effects; Nuclear fission and general reaction; thermal energy and mechanical force; nuclear radiation and ionizing effect; physical destruction; casualty effects (32 min; color). PMF 5059 - Dynamic Physical Reconditioning PMF 5060 - PMF 5061 (1947) - Peripheral Nerve Surgery — Part I: Sciatic Nerve; Management of typical peripheral nerve injury case of WW II; follow-up treatment at neurosurgical centers of the Veterans Administration (33 min; color). PMF 5062 (1947) - Cineplastic Operation; Attaching cords to selected muscle and then to prosthetic appliance so that patient can operate appliance by contracting muscles in amputation stub (18 min; color). PMF 5063 (1946) - Anterior Acrylic Bridgework; Fitting dental bridges in which acrylic is used to replace porcelain; procedures and techniques (39 min; color; from Navy Film MN 4352A, B, and C). PMF 5064 - PMF 5065 (1947) - Management and Technique of Pulmonary Lobectomy; Bronchiectasis of left lower lobe of lungs; extirpation of diseased lung tissue (31 min; color). PMF 5066 - PMF 5067 - PMF 5068 (1947) - Repair of Recto-Urethral Fistula; Case of injury to large and small bowel, bladder, urethra, and rectum caused by bullet wounds; exploratory laparotomy scar, cystostomy, colostomy, and abdominal fistula wounds; closure of complete fistula by use of Whitehead principle of advancement of rectum (3 min; color). PMF 5069 (1947) - Simple Anterior Closure of Transverse Colostomy (Right Side); Right side colostomies less frequent than left side colostomies; similarity of procedures followed in anastomosis; typical problems and applicable surgical techniques; some WW II developments in surgical management of colostomies (23 min; color). PMF 5070 (1947) - Simple Anterior Closure of Colostomy (10 min; color). PMF 5071 (1948) - Pinta; Various stages of chronic, disfiguring skin disease; diagnosis; spirochetal etiology; good results with arsenical and penicillin therapy (18 min; color). PMF 5072 - Physical Medicine Service PMF 5073 (1947) - Construction of Screw Lock Sectional Splint; Case of facial injury including fracture of mandible, comminuted, compound, requiring additional bone to restore contour of mandible; all phases of fixation, grafting, and replacement (17 min; color). PMF 5074 - PMF 5075 (1947) - Reconstruction of the Lower Lip and Chin; Case of destruction by shell fragments of two-thirds of lower lip, chin, and mandible; method and phases of restoration (20 min; color). PMF 5076 (1948) - Lumbar Sympathectomy (Ganglionectomy); Various applications; types of conditions likely to be benefited; procainization of structure to be removed; operative procedure; details of removal of sympathetic chain; anatomic and physiologic defects produced by removal of certain portions of chain; ordinary anatomic demonstration on cadaver (33 min; color; Film Reference). PMF 5077 - Inside the Cell (Two parts) PMF 5077A 1, 2, 3 (1949) - Inside the Cell, Part I: Enzymes in Intracellular Chemistry; Concept of intracellular enzymatic action; biochemical phenomena illustrated by animation; laboratory technique of several Nobel prize winning scientists (40 min; color). PMF 5077B 1, 2, 3 (1952) - Inside the Cell, Part II: Regulation of Enzymes; Factors regulating enzyme action (43 min; color). PMF 5078 - PMF 5079 - PMF 5080 - PMF 5081 (1948) - Transplantation and Anastomosis of Radial Nerve; Case of severed left radial nerve which was sutured but recovery failed to ensure; clinical findings; technique used to accomplish repair (9 min; color). PMF 5082 - PMF 5087 - PMF 5088 (1948) - Peroneal Nerve Anastomosis at the Knee; Case of peroneal nerve severed at bend of knee with evident foot drop and loss of sensation on dorsum of foot; technique used to effect repair; necessity for gently curving incision to prevent later keloid formation or contracture by avoiding flexion creases in popliteal space (7 min; color). PMF 5089 - PMF 5095 - PMF 5096 (1948) - Neurorrhaphy of Median and Ulnar Nerves in the Left Forearm; Left forearm shell fragment case with severed median and ulnar nerves; complete clinical examination details; procedure to accomplish repair (14 min; color). PMF 5097 (1948) - Technique of Tantalum Cranioplasty; Typical problems in cosmetic correction of skull defects by means of tantalum cranioplasty; technique of formation and insertion of tantalum plates (40 min; color). PMF 5098 - PMF 5099 - PMF 5100 - PMF 5101 -