Geriatric profile of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).

During the 17 years following the death of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt immersed herself in many activities on a national and international scale, activities that justly earned her the title of First Lady of the World. The period of these activities spans her 61st to 78th years of life, a time when most people are retired. Her activities in later life reflect the internal development and political experience acquired with living the various phases of life, including aging, and her views on health, retirement, and death remain timely and in consonance with the teachings of modern gerontology. The life of this extraordinary woman was marked by intense motivation, multiple interests, vitality, and a large capacity for work and play. These attributes are important factors in living a full and productive life.

Geriatric profile of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826).

This geriatric profile specifically reflects the impressive achievements of Thomas Jefferson during the years of his retirement (ages 66-83) following a distinguished political career culminating in the Presidency. President Monroe sought his advice even after the age of 80, and Jefferson's reasoning was instrumental in the formulation of the Monroe Doctrine. Education was a foremost priority in retirement. He was responsible for the establishment of the University of Virginia, in which his versatility was manifested as architect, builder, and fund raiser. Jefferson was a man of breadth and extraordinary vision for his time, and has come to be known as the "Father of American Democracy." The basic concepts of his philosophy, including the realm of aging, remain valid today-150 years after his passing.

Design and evaluation of head unit for wheelchair control by quadriplegic patients.

A control unit was designed to allow persons who have lost hand and arm function to control the speed, steering, reversal and on-off switching of an electric wheelchair by means of backward movement and rotation of the head. When possible, shoulder movement was used to control both reversal and on-off switching. Clinical evaluation in 10 patients with quadriplegia and 2 with severe neuromuscular disease showed that the unit neither interfered with nor restrained the patients' residual body movements, permitted use of natural head movements for smooth and fast control of the wheelchair, and was well accepted by and integrated into the life of the patients.

A Canadian electric-arm prosthesis for children.

The thalidomide tragedy in Canada initiated new efforts to produce functional prosthetic appliances for very young amputees. In 1962, the Rehabilitation Institute of Montreal began to fit 36 babies with adapted conventional and gas-operated devices.Practical experience with the Soviet prosthesis proved the feasibility of myoelectric control, and indicated the possibility of using skin electrodes over an active muscle for control purposes in children. We obtained assistance from the Northern Electric Company, whose research laboratories produced the prototype arms described in this report. An all-electric prosthetic system was developed which carries out four different movements driven by a single motor. Function is effected by switches, but a myoelectric control system could be readily adapted without major changes. In the description of our needs for the proposed arm, we asked for modular construction and a minimum service life of one year between major repairs. Details of design and performance are outlined in this report.Initial clinical experience indicates that the prosthesis is completely accepted by the young patient, in spite of its excessive weight and inconvenient control. Four powered joints give the child greater functional freedom. In future we plan to fit an older child and will study more bilateral installations in the next 14 months. After further use, study and improvement, this device will become a useful prosthesis.

Medical and psychosocial aspects of the habilitation of thalidomide children.

The habilitation of 34 thalidomide children, begun in 1963 at the Rehabilitation Institute of Montreal, involved the contribution of many medical and paramedical disciplines. These individual contributions are described.Habilitation of congenitally deformed children must be initiated at an early age. The early prescription of a prosthesis is desirable. Their care involves a broad range of services that must be continued over many years. Parents require support before they can accept the misfortune that has befallen them and their deformed child. Despite the necessity of frequent hospitalizations, children should be reared in a home setting. From their experience, the authors conclude that children born with malformations, and their parents, should be thoroughly evaluated and followed up for many years; and recommend that governments should finance programs for the complete habilitation of all children born with congenital malformations. National registries for the compulsory recording of birth deformities should also be established.