Record information
Title: A film of patients with movement disorders made by Samuel Kinnier Wilson in Queen Square, London in the Mid-1920s
Reference: QSA/19606
Date: Approx 1 Jan 1924 to 31 Dec 1925
Description: The 20-min silent film includes patients with senile tremor, Parkinson's disease and postencephalitic parkinsonism, hemiballismus, Huntington's chorea, Sydenham's chorea, hysterical palsy and tremor, multiple sclerosis, and progressive lenticular degeneration. Most of the patients are filmed in the square outside the National Hospital. Queen Square was closed off during the filming and towards the end of the movie a number of curious spectators can be seen looking over the railing at the south end of the square. The case records of 6 of the 14 patients, who were admitted to the National Hospital, Queen Square, under the care of Samuel Kinnier Wilson have been identified and summarized.
Creator: Samuel Kinnier Wilson, with new captions by Professor Andrew Lees.
Storage Reference: Online only
Acquisition: A gift to the archives from Professor Andrew Lees (via James Kinnier Wilson, Samuel Kinnier Wilson’s grandson)
Notes:
According to the British Film Institute, this 20-min silent film of patients with movement disorders was made on 1924 USA Kodak film, with captions added by SAKW on 1925 film. The film is of remarkably high quality for this period. The patients were filmed in Queen Square outside the National Hospital, probably in the autumn 1924 or spring of 1925, with the exception of the child with Sydenham's chorea who is seen walking along a fire escape outside the hospital. Queen Square was closed off during the filming and towards the end of the movie a number of curious spectators can be seen looking over the railing at the south end of the square.
| Order | Diagnosis | Age/sex | Clinical and neurophysiological observation or comment (captions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idiopathic senile tremor | Elderly male | Bilateral postural tremor of hands. Little tremor at rest. |
| 2a | Postencephatic parkinsonism | 1. 26/Male | Tic-like movements simulating yawning. Associated breathholding. |
| 3a | 2. 40/Male | Rhythmic tremor of buccinators. Absence of blinking. | |
| 4 | Parkinson’s disease | 1. Female | Unilateral stiffness and slowness of left hand and fingers. |
| 5 | 2. Male | Unilateral tremor of left hand with associated movements of right healthy hand. | |
| 6 | 3. Male | Finger nose test. Bilateral rest and “action” tremor. Postural tremor inhibited by pronation. | |
| 7a | Postencephalitic parkinsonism | 38/Male | Associated movement of eye blinking on voluntary eye deviation. |
| 8a | Senile chorea. Hemiballismus | 88/Female | Illustrating “big joint” movements in right arm, leg and trunk. Includes time-lapse cinematography |
| 9a | Huntington's chorea | 68/Male | Choreic movements in “big joints” in limbs and trunk leading to ataxia. |
| 10 | Sydenham's chorea | Girl, late childhood | Choreic movements of limbs, tongue, face, hands. Exaggerated arm swing on walking. Knee jerks reduced or sustained extensor contraction. |
| 11a | Progressive lenticular degeneration | 25/Female | Severe bilateral rest and action tremor. Voluntary grasping inhibits tremor on same side but increases opposite tremor. Rigid gait worse on right. Smiling facies (but not mentioned). |
| 12 | Hysteria | 1. Young female | Unilateral left forearm and hand palsy with limited “en bloc” movements. |
| 13 | 2. Young male | Bilateral rest and action tremor “simulating action tremor”. Includes film of SAKW. | |
| 14 | Multiple sclerosis | Middle-aged female | Bilateral action tremor on finger nose and other tests. |
- In order of appearance on film.
Keywords: Albany Wing, Albany Wing including Hospital Frontage, Buildings and Places, Consultants, Individuals, Kinnier Wilson Samuel Alexander, People, Queen Square, Queen Square and Gardens, Sources, Video and Film
Compilations: Film footage
More information available on movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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