The Magnus-Rademaker scientific film collection (1908-1940) deals with the physiology of body posture by the equilibrium of reflex musculature contractions for which experimental studies were carried out with animals (e.g., labyrinthectomies, cerebellectomies, and brain stem sections) as well as observations done on patients. The films were made for demonstrations at congresses as well as educational objectives and film stills were published in their books. The purpose of the present study is to position these films and their makers within the contemporary discourse on ethical issues and animal rights in the Netherlands and the earlier international debates. Following an introduction on animal rights and antivivisection movements, we describe what Magnus and Rademaker thought about these issues. Their publications did not provide much information in this respect, probably reflecting their adherence to implicit ethical codes that did not need explicit mentioning in publications. Newspaper articles, however, revealed interesting information. Unnecessary suffering of an animal never found mercy in Magnus' opinion. The use of cinematography was expanded to the reduction of animal experimentation in student education, at least in the case of Rademaker, who in the 1930s was involved in a governmental committee for the regulation of vivisection and cooperated with the antivivisection movement. This resulted not only in a propaganda film for the movement but also in films that demonstrate physiological experiments for students with the purpose to avert repetition and to improve the teaching of experiments. We were able to identify the pertinent films in the Magnus-Rademaker film collection. The production of vivisection films with this purpose appears to have been common, as is shown in news messages in European medical journals of the period.

Following a short introduction on medical photography and cinematography, we describe a recently discovered neurological film collection, the so called Magnus-Rademaker collection (1909-1940), earlier presumed to be lost. Rudolf Magnus was professor in pharmacology in Utrecht and Gysbertus Rademaker was professor in physiology and later in neurology in Leiden. At the time they performed experimental research on animals to the role of the labyrinth, the neck afferents and cerebellum in position and standing. Next to animals, they also filmed patients. As an example we discuss a film about a boy whose cerebellum had been largely removed because of a tumor. The case was discussed for the ‘Amsterdam Neurologists Society’ and reported upon in the Dutch journal of medicine (1940). The films were produced for educational, as well as for scientific purposes. the discovery of this collection contributes to a better understanding of the role that early cinematography played in science and medicine.

Enkele biografische gegevens

Biografie van de in 1908 in Utrecht aangestelde hoogleraar Rudolf Magnus (1873-1927). Behandelt vooral het wetenschappelijke werk, maar geeft ook een goed beeld van de sfeer in het Utrecht begin twintigste eeuw