Die englische Krankheit (Third Reich and UFA, 1941)

Made during World War II by the German Ministry of Health in collaboration with UFA, Germany's largest movie studio, this short film combines Nazi propaganda with a discussion of the symptoms, treatment, and prevention of rickets in infants and young children. The film begins with a dark procession of deformed people, suffering from rickets, superimposed on a map of Great Britain. It then switches to more conventional health education. Since Vitamin D and sunlight are important in promoting proper bone growth, it argues, a regimen of healthy eating and exposure to sunlight and air is recommended. Animated diagrams and x-rays are shown, along with a clinic, where doctors and nurses check babies for proper growth.

To toggle captions between German and English, select Settings button to the right of the “CC” symbol (place cursor in the movie frame itself, lower right). In Subtitles/CC box, change preferred language by clicking on the arrow. Captions: Leonhard Link.

Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/100965356

Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collectio...
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