The sleep of death.

Date:
1989
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Credit

The sleep of death. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

About this work

Description

A lavish historical dramatisation of some of the key figures and events involved in the discovery of the cause of African sleeping sickness around the turn of the century, as seen through the eyes of Sir Patrick Manson (1844-1922), founder of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Dr. Louis Sambon (1865-1931). The film includes material from both 'The Gambian Case' and 'Entebbe Encounter' and was awarded a silver medal at the New York International Film and TV Festival in 1990. With Mark Brackenbury as Sir Patrick Manson and Robert Ashby as Louis Sambon. 8 segments.

Publication/Creation

United Kingdom : Wellcome Trust Film Unit, 1989.

Physical description

1 encoded moving image (1 hour 2 min.) : sound, color

Duration

01:02:18

Copyright note

Wellcome Trust; 2009

Terms of use

Unrestricted
CC-BY-NC
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 2.0 UK: England & Wales

Language note

In English

Creator/production credits

Made by Wellcome Trust Film Unit. Written and produced by Dr. Billie Williams and directed by Anthony Palmer.

Contents

Segment 1 A lecturer in the present day explains the history of research into trypanosomes and African sleeping sickness to a class of students. London in 1900 is seen. Louis Sambon of the London School of Tropical Medicine is seen. He receives an urgent phone call from Patrick Manson, founder of the school. He has a blood sample from a colonial soldier that contains blood parasites. They go to the soldier's club to find him. Time start: 00:00:00:00 Time end: 00:08:08:17 Length: 00:08:08:17
Segment 2 The soldier is making a drunken scene at the club. The doctors find him but he runs away. Sambon and Manson discuss Drs Ford and Dutton, two doctors also researching trypanosomes in Africa. Dr Dutton died at a young age after identifying trypanosomes in the blood. Dutton and Ford are seen, discussing their case; they are the first to find trypanosomes in the blood of a white man (someone of European origin). Time start: 00:08:08:17 Time end: 00:16:51:11 Length: 00:08:42:19
Segment 3 Sambon and Manson continue their discussion of research into trypanosomes. Manson had a female patient who fell ill after being bitten by a tsetse fly on the leg. Her symptoms are the same as Dutton's patient. In 1902, there is a serious outbreak of sleeping sickness in Uganda. The Royal Society call a meeting, which is shown, to discuss the crisis. Time start: 00:16:51:11 Time end: 00:24:31:14 Length: 00:07:40:03
Segment 4 The Royal Society meeting discusses who should be on the commission to deal with the sleeping sickness outbreak. A group of doctors and bacteriologists are sent to Uganda. Dr Castellani is seen conducting field work in Uganda. Time start: 00:24:31:14 Time end: 00:32:19:02 Length: 00:07:47:13
Segment 5 Castellani is informed that Dr David Bruce will be joining them in Uganda. Castellani is working hard on his own research into sleeping sickness. Time start: 00:32:19:02 Time end: 00:39:38:02 Length: 00:07:19:00
Segment 6 Dr Castellani realises that trypanosomes may be the cause of sleeping sickness. Dr Bruce has also conducted research in this area. Castellani wants his research to be published first. Dr and Mrs Bruce arrive. Time start: 00:39:38:02 Time end: 00:48:35:18 Length: 00:08:57:16
Segment 7 Castellani and Bruce discuss Castellani's research. They discuss future research plans and the government's plans to tackle sleeping sickness. Time start: 00:48:35:18 Time end: 00:55:33:22 Length: 00:06:58:04
Segment 8 Sambon and Manson are seen again. Manson's female patient who was bitten on the leg dies of sleeping sickness. The present-day lecture is seen again. The lecturer explains that trypanosomes are still causing disease in Africa, and that control measures are extremely difficult. End credits. Time start: 00:55:33:22 Time end: 01:02:17:24 Length: 00:06:44:02

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