HomeRadiologyVol. 55, No. 5 PreviousNext EditorialThe Sixth International Congress of RadiologyPublished Online:Nov 1 1950https://doi.org/10.1148/55.5.754MoreSectionsPDF ToolsImage ViewerAdd to favoritesCiteTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked In Abstract“Whatever may be the divisions of politics, the divisions of geography or, harsher still, the divisions of history, medicine remains international.”—Dr. Ralston PatersonThose who were privileged to attend the Sixth International Congress of Radiology meeting in London, July 24–28, brought back with them the inspiration of a full scientific program, the memories of delightful social occasions, and a new sense of the universality of their specialty. Fifty-four countries were represented; 1,742 radiologists were registered, and the total enrollment was 3,364.The organization of the entire Congress reflected long months of careful planning and intensive work on the part of the President, Dr. Ralston Paterson, the Secretary-General, Dr. J. W. McLaren, and the other officers and committees. It is impossible to commend too highly the results of their labors. Everything moved with precision, from the impressive ceremony on the morning of July 24, at which the Earl of Athlone, Chancellor of the University of London, declared the Congress open, to its formal “Ringing Out” on July 28.The headquarters of the Congress was Central Hall, Westminster. Here the opening and closing ceremonies were held, the General Congress Symposia and symposia on diagnosis and therapy were presented, and the scientific exhibits were housed. Section meetings were held also in Church House and Caxton Hall, while the Technical exhibit occupied space in the halls of the Royal Horticultural Society.By a happy circumstance the Congress opened in the same hall that saw the assembling of the First International Congress just twenty-five years before. The ceremonies were colorful and impressive. The Congress having been declared formally open, Dr. B. H. Orndoff, representing Dr. Arthur C. Christie, President of the Fifth International Congress, invested Dr. Paterson with the badge and chain originally presented to the Congress by the British delegation as the official insignia of the President. Dr. Orndoff then called upon Dr. Hans R. Shinz of Zurich, who presented to Dr. Paterson a testimonial, signed by the three living past-presidents—Dr. Gösta Forssell, of Stockholm, Dr. Schinz, and Dr. Christie—in appreciation of the organization of the present Congress “under world conditions of exceptional difficulty.”These formalities were followed by the Presidential Address2 reviewing the progress of radiology from the early days to the present time, when “diagnostic radiology has permeated the whole structure of medicine” and “radiotherapy has provided man with the instrument which has become the most important weapon in the fight against malignant disease.”Article HistoryPublished in print: Nov 1950 FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsRecommended Articles RSNA Education Exhibits RSNA Case Collection Vol. 55, No. 5 Metrics Altmetric Score PDF download