America's African heritage; 9 And 10

We are listening to a woman singing U.S. grand gloomier that wouldn't come. The National Association of educational broadcasters braze ons Americas African heritage recorded in Africa by Skip Westfall program 9 1 doctor for 30000 people here to skip Westfall a part of the story behind the gathering of the clusters of. Fruit of the palm tree is the danger involved on the part of the workers. I'm speaking now from one of the wards of the Evan Jellicoe Medical Institute. It competitively in the western part of the Belgian Congo. The director of the institute is Dr. Glen Tuttle of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society. Doctor title by the way comes from a neighboring state of mind from Minnesota. It's a pitiful sight to see some of

these patients some of them have broken back others have fractured membranes and there are numerous causes for these injuries. I one of them is the result of falls from a palm tree. Acting as my guide on this tour of the hospital. Is Miss Sylvia violate. I Where do you come from this wily. England Broadstairs Broadstairs inroads does England's nothing. Is that near London. It's about 80 miles from London. Enjoy your work here. Not just interesting it's a wonderful wonderful opportunity for services and it certainly is to the Africans. And that's why I mean do you have many patients being treated here as a result of falls from the pond. We've had four during the last three or four weeks injured his spine. One was concussed. One was a little child to fracture the

femur and the man was just going to speak to us. He fractured his pelvic very pleasant. This isn't actually in the Palm Grove area. No not many plump mentation around here than you would you call that a high percentage. Yes I thought it is quite high in one of the antigen Evidently the job of climbing a palm tree is quite risky business isn't it. It is it seems to me. I understand that the young man here in this bed has suffered from such an injury. What is his name. What is this boy's name. Kula who rather wears his father quite serious yes. What was the injury. He fractured his pelvic bone and it's taken just about six months for it to heal. Oh yes and I know what he's walking now with the stick to the limbs. Well then after six months he hasn't fully recovered from the injury or you can

walk. He has no pain but he won't be able to climb mountains again. But when you ask him as far away how the accident happened. With me. Yeah easy like that I was ruled by the map was written by your map. What did he say. How did the accident happen. He slipped he would slip down the street. Oh yes. How far was he above the ground when he fell. Thank ye luck to you. They would you ask him again. Even many meters was very high. You can't judge.

Was he with other workers at the time. Yes I understand there were a number of workers and they took him directly to the hospital. How far is her home from camp. You can drive on the train and take a bicycle to return to his work in the road. Perhaps we should explain. We have a number of the boys of the standing about here listening to a bit of meat. We repeat the question. Yes you must enjoy the work.

I don't think he enjoys the work I think the question not having any other job. What type of work will he do when he gets back and we climb the trees again. So you might. Be able to climb up into the trees but he can stop eating them from the ground. Would you ask him if you have friends who have been injured in while gathering the fruit. While. Bound to look like a bit of my time the world where the freely given to them go to work.

We don't look at it like that if he said he knows quite a number some who fall in and who kill themselves and some who are saying now he have he has a special problem too doesn't his wife is with him isn't she. Yes he wanted to go out this morning and I said well it was very convenient for him to go out because his wife has just come in she's epileptic and she's expecting a baby in a few days time. And I said well it's not safe for him to travel with his wife expecting a baby on the way. He stayed and he said well he hasn't any money because he hasn't been working for the last six months. I understand that the patients here are usually accompanied by members of the family. Yes we expect everything to have at least one help. Help us do the cooking for the patients. They do all of the cooking in these outdoor kitchens. We see out here and I know you have duties which are calling in this morning so I won't take any more of your time. And by the way what language does this boy speak.

He speaks. Oh yes I remember you. You said that on the Congo. How would you say to him in Congo. I hope you will soon be well. NEED MEMBER I want me to our friend. I mean that's what they want to talk to quite. Words seem to be quite happy in spite of the fact that some of them here never mind. See if you can recognize it.

Think I gave my life for the White House given me. Dr Cottle and his associates have achieved something here in this hospital with AIDS which is little short of miraculous. From 1950 to 1955 one hundred fifteen buildings have been constructed here. Their total value is approximately $500000. The government of the Congo recognizing the value of Dr Tuttle's work appropriated three hundred fifty thousand dollars of this amount. There are now 70 nurses in training here. The nurses man and 16 girls who are taking the three year training course for midwives. The great need for a medical training school is indicated by the fact that there is only one

nurse for 10000 people in this country. And only one doctor for every 30000. Compare this figure of one doctor for 30000 with America where there is an average of one doctor for 600 people before interviewing the man who had broken his pelvis in a fall from a palm tree. I visited the Children's Ward. It was sad to see those little fellows most of them 5 to 10 years of age stretched out in casserole with weights pulling on their legs. One boy of six years of age and lain in a cast on his stomach for ten months. He had come to the hospital paralyzed from the waist down due to tuberculosis of the spine. He was treated with streptomycin injections and given various tablets to clear up the infection and placed in the cast. According to the nurse attending him in another two months the boy will start to walk again. One of my interesting experiences while visiting the hospital here was the opportunity to witness an

eye operation by Dr. Olson formally of Omaha Nebraska. Dr. Olson was confident that the man who had been blind would soon be able to see. It has been an inspiration to see these devoted doctors from Minnesota and Nebraska out here in the heart of Africa giving their lives to enable the lane to walk and the blind to see. Just a few moments ago I had the interesting experience of seeing a baby 10 minutes old the nurse who was with me at the time was Mr. Varney who acted as my interpreter. A few moments ago. Mrs Rani said to the mother how do you feel. The mother looked up at her and with the sweetest smile replied softly in key combo. I have great happiness. Let's move on down the ward now. You can step outside for a moment. Just on the other side of the hill beyond the nurses quarters. We see smoke

rising from a grass fire. I was told that the fire had been set to drive the pythons out of the tall grass. They had been getting too numerous around the hospital for comfort. More power to the boys in smoking out those snakes. The father raised they way the better I like it. We're now standing near one of the cook houses where some of the women are busily preparing meals for the patients. There is no central kitchen here. The wives or other relatives of the patients come with them to the hospital and prepare their meals for them. At night. The members of the family often including children sleep on mats on the floor or under the bed near the patient. Nearby we see one of the women grinding meal by dumping a heavy stick into a kind of wooden bucket. The song is about the problems of a new bride and tells how she wants to cook her husband good food she cooks him chicken

but he doesn't like the chicken. She cooks pumpkin seeds. He doesn't like what she cooks for him. He doesn't like he just doesn't like anything she cooks. And finally the wife says What am I to do about it. At last in desperation she says to her husband. So I cook your father and mother. Then I suppose that's what we would do if you were an African Why is there a problem over there. This has been programmed 9 of Americas African heritage. These programs which are recordings made by world traveler skip Westfall on a recent trip to Africa. The series is made possible by a grant in aid to radio station w

o II Iowa State College from the Educational Television and Radio Center production is under the direction of Norman B Clary. This is Reagan speaking for the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end E.B. Radio Network. From the Belgian Congo deep in the heart of Africa comes a drug obtained from the root of the royal feed tree. It is known as recipe and is widely used throughout the world in the treatment of heart disease and mental illness. The National Association of educational broadcasters presents America's African heritage recorded in Africa by Skip Westfall program temp medicine from the root of a tree here is kept Westfall

our program comes to you today from the consent to mission in the southwestern part of the bosun Congo. This mission is one of the leading Catholic mission stations in Africa. In addition to an outstanding religious and educational program and an excellent hospital because central mission is world renowned for its botanical gardens in experiments with various types of trees herbs and plants. Father Collins who directs the research work at the Botanical Gardens has made a number of very important contributions in the field of modern medicine. Prior to our departure from America for the Belgian Congo we made a recording of a visit to the abbot pharmaceutical plant in North Chicago. I feel that it would be appropriate at this time to insert that recording into our program. So will you come with me now. Back across the seas to North Chicago for the recording we made at the Abbott pharmaceutical plant when we go to the drug store to get a

prescription filled a druggist usually hands us our tablets or capsules in tiny boxes our small bottles. But here at the pharmaceutical plant we see barrels full of pills and huge revolving tanks containing many thousands of capsules. At this moment we're standing before a tablet manufacturing machine and machine is about six feet in height at the top of it is a huge ball filled with a white powder containing ingredients which have come from all over the world. As the powder flows from the bowl the machine stamps out the tiny tablets. Which drop from a sponge into a black. This drone one department manager had. Manufacturing is standing we say. I'm sure he will be glad to answer a few questions. Yes I will be happy. Wes. What is this cabinet use for most of all. This is and I have a vitamin mineral supplement to be used during pregnancy. One effect is the prevention of anemia.

Would you give us the names of some of the ingredients which go into this hour. In addition to all the vitamins it contains Cobalt manganese. And I don't. You know I am particularly interested in the products contained in modern medicine which come from the continent of Africa. You mentioned cold. I understand that a lot of 60 percent of the world's supply of coal comes from that was. In the heart of Africa. Do any of the other elements you have name come from Africa. Yes or both manganese and I diversified my. Own material in this book at the top of the machine seems to be in the form of a dry powder. That sits right through your fingers. It comes out of the machine in templates. What is the substance which holds it together. We use a type of gum to bind the tablets together in some cases this is a synthetic compound. But in the case of the gum use is

acacia. Acacia. That's another ingredient which comes from the continent of Africa. I hope that during my trip to northern and southern Asia and South Africa I may be able to visit some of the areas where the acacia is gathered from the trees for shipment to the United States. How many different kinds of tablets do you manufacture here at the average laboratory we make over 200 different tablets and then of course there are various types of liquid menace manufactured here suppose we visit the room where these medicines are being made. What is this one and the large that we see here this is a solution of Harare the same ingredient South American Indians use as an arrow poison. Where do the natives obtain this arrow poison. Is it a secret. No it is no longer a secret in the far off jungles. The native

hunter Tip's is Errol with Harare shoots from an eight foot blowgun to drop his prey at 75 feet. Harare paralyzes the animal stops its heart. The secrets of preparing the Chari were closely guarded by the medicine man. Until recently when they consented to make it for export at Abbot purification and crystallization extract the active principle transform the Tari substance for use in surgery. Certainly most interesting. You know the other day while doing a little research in your company library I came across a rather unusual story about the boiling of the seams of the boiling of this poisoned Root used to be considered quite dangerous. The fumes were so poisonous that it often resulted in death. Well according to this story of the South American Indians used to put an old woman in a room all by herself to supervise the cooking of the road.

The fumes would finally become so poisonous that the woman would die and that would be a sign that the mixture was sufficiently boiled that it had all of the qualities necessary to make it good. I'm glad Abbott has a scientific method for determining the strength of this drug to replace your Indian method. What is the use of this barrel poison in modern medicine. Harare is a muscle relaxant used in surgery to give us a relaxation under lighter anesthesia. Well it certainly here is interesting to know that the people of primitive tribes who were totally uneducated according to our standards that these people have made and are making today such an important contribution to modern medicine I suppose we could say that South American Indian with his arrow place is in a sense standing beside the surgeon in the operating room of our hospital giving to him the medicine which is saving the lives of many people as they

lie on the operating table. That certainly is true and we at Abbott are glad to be working on such an important medicine. All the stories about the making of modern medicine certainly are fascinating. I'm sure we could spend the whole day going from one medicine to another and find an interesting story in Egypt. But you have other things to do. Mr. on and I don't want to take up too much of your time. Let's take one more. What is the tablet which is being manufactured in this machine. These are are our harmony tablets containing an active ingredient from rubble from India. It is used as a tranquilizer which lowers the blood pressure. What does it have any other uses. Yes in larger doses it has proved very valuable in treating some types of insanity. I read recently that they are beginning to cultivate this wolfie a root in the

Belgian Congo as well as in India. That is very interesting because a supply from India has been limited. Well this is been an education to me mister on this in the few minutes we have spent together and we have found something from Africa in the dye collects tablet which prevents anemia in pregnant mothers and in their unborn baby. We have seen how the Arab poison of the South American Indian makes the area which lessens the likelihood of heart failure during surgery. And we have seen how the route wealthier a route from far away India is being used by doctors today in the treatment of mental illness makes us realize how much our own health and happiness depend on the people of other countries throughout the world. Now we're back again in the Belgian Congo to get something of the story behind the medicines which come to us from Africa. In our story from Chicago you will

recall mention was made of the use of the medicine obtained from the Royal wolfie a tree. One of the greatest accomplishments of Father Collins here at the Cassandra mission has been the part that he has played in helping to make available for medicinal use the drug which is obtained from the root of the rubble via tree. This drug which has been named recipe is the most widely used alkaloid obtained from the Royal welfare route. Until quite recently serpentine Ho was a relatively unimportant drug plan of India which was obtained by so-called Herb gatherers who collected it from the forests. These routes were also sold by a medicine man at Village Fair. For many years this route was used in India as antidotes farce snake bites and stings of insects as well as a remedy for diarrhea and a number of other ailments. Today a recipe is used in modern medicine for the treatment of high blood pressure and as a trend with rising age it is its widest use seems to be in the treatment

of mental disease patients suffering from schizophrenia chronic alcoholism and drug addiction have been aided greatly by this mysterious Medicine obtained from the root of the tree. Unfortunately Father Collins is not here at the mission at the present time so I'm unable to talk with him about the contribution he has made to this phase of modern medicine. However one of the fathers who is an instructor here at the Medical Institute has agreed to give us some of this information. As I recall you said you came here to the Congo from Belgium. Father Albert Yes sir I am a bitch just with coming from the town. Where is that located. In both from the village and goes to found one hundred and fifty miles from cancer now would you tell us briefly the star a father or a of how the route Wulfhere route was developed here in the Belgian Congo. Well this area immediately our two rooms were to see by the pharmaceutical

firm asked to do different Botanical Gardens in Africa and especially here to the botanical garden on the sun too. If they couldn't send them regularly you know kind of so gross and last medical drugs and drug use writing needed here in the region they were interested particularly in medicines. Yes and they ask you especially for peacetime to evade drug wasn't able to look if there was a no no and all of us in the region. Well Tony Collins the director of the Botanical Garden who had already made a special study on the role of it was able to send in we need to be different. And so for her right. These are for a few groping here in the region. And was this a better type of group than the ones a million different Seaver found out that to. Do civil rights you know who you are if you continue to hire a person or is it when they are asked to Father Cullen's if he didn't know somebody who could organize

a cadre of to remove the Army just to excuse your defeat and that was done first. My father kind of seems to have been right to copyright the year off to some. Then you would say that Father Cullen's here at the mission actually started the gathering of the route will fear of us. Well there briefly and we have the story of how an African missionary has helped to make available for use throughout the world such an important medicine. It must be an inspiration to the people of other lands who are suffering. Where for instance from heart trouble for them to know that their contributions to foreign missionary work is now coming back to them in the medicine to cure their disease. Where Rose so you could see that money before you do missions is just returning. Back now to that far off medical review. Very interesting isn't it. And when we think of the use of the role of your road in the treatment of mental disease I am sure of it Father Cullen's and his associates feel that they are carrying out in a wonderful way the command of our Lord to go into all the world and help to

drive out the evil spirits from the minds of men and women. What an important contribution the Christian missionaries have made to the blessid work of relieving the suffering of torture. My father already you know we have hardly scratched the surface of this fascinating set. We hope we'll be able to return next week for more of the inspiring story of the mission at the center. This has been programmed 10 of America's African heritage. These programs feature recordings made by world traveler skip Westfall on a recent trip to Africa. The series is made possible by a grant in aid to radio station WOIO with State College from the educational television and radio center production is under the direction of Normandie Cleary. This is regular speaking for the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end E.B. Radio Network.