Rontgen's Discovery Research Articles

X-rays for medical imaging: Radiation protection, governance and ethics over 125years.

Starting from Röntgen's discovery and the first radiograph of his wife's hand, the curtain was raised on a new technique with remarkable possibilities for contributing to human health. While growth in applications proceeded rapidly, it was accompanied by significant harms to those involved and by inappropriate opportunistic application. This paper places the attempts to deal with the harms and inappropriate activities side by side with the positive developments. It attempts a narrative on the development of medical radiation protection over the 125-year period and places it in the context of a commentary on governance and ethics. The substance of the narrative is based on the recommendations of ICRP as they developed and altered over time. The governance commentary is based on assessing the independence of ICRP and its attention to medical exposures. In terms of ethics, the recommendations at each stage are reviewed in the light of values that are deemed appropriate to both medical ethics and radiation protection. The paper, while celebrating Röntgen-125, also hopefully provides a perspective for discussion as ICRP's centenary in 2028 approaches. This is an important part of ensuring continued acceptance and confident use of X-Rays, and helps underwrite the possibility of further developments in the area.

The past, the present, and the future

Dear subscribers, Together with this December issue of Acta Radi- ologica, you will find a unique publication: Acta Radiologica 19212006. Our radiological journal is now quite a ''grand old lady,'' founded back in 1921, a substantial number of years ago. It is not, however, the oldest, an accolade which probably belongs to Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy, later renamed the British Journal of Radiology, founded as early as April 1896, just a few months after Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen's discovery of the so- called X-ray. In this special issue of Acta Radiologica, written and edited by Professor Emeritus Anders Hem- mingsson, a former Editor in Chief of the journal, you will find an overview of the most important milestones of the first 85 years of Acta Radiologica. You will also find one prominent article from every decade since its foundation in 1921. Each of those articles represent milestones not only within Nordic radiology, but internationally as well, the first of which is Hugo Laurell's article from 1925, ''Freie Gas in der Bauhohle,'' followed by Peter Rusthoi's ''Uber Angiographie'' from 1933, Stig Radner's ''An Attempt at the Roentgenologic Visualization of Coronary Blood Vessels in Man'' from 1945, Sven Ivar Seldinger's world-famous article from 1953, ''Catheter Replacement of the Needle in Percuta- neous Arteriography,'' and, not least, Torsten Al- men's article from 1973, ''The Effect of Non-ionic

Mathematics in Biomedical Imaging

Mathematics in Biomedical Imaging

The quest for brilliance: light sources from the third to the fourth generation

I t is evident that light is perhaps the most important tool by which we know the world around us. This is true not only for our everyday experience, but also for the scientific pursuit of an understanding of nature. Experiments using electromagnetic waves, in a range of wavelengths going well beyond the relatively small range of visible light, have played an important role in the development of modern science. Atomic and molecular spectroscopy, i.e. the study of the characteristic wavelengths emitted by matter in the gas phase, has been fundamental in establishing the laws of quantum mechanics and has given us important information on the composition of stars and planets. Einstein's brilliant 1905 interpretation of the photoelectric effect has opened the way to photoemission spectroscopy,which is still today one of the most important probes ofthe electronic structure ofsolids and solid surfaces, using DV light. Rontgen's discovery ofx-rays in 1895, and the subsequent 1911 demonstration ofx-ray diffraction by crystals, by von Laue and others, laid the foundations of crystallography, by which we can unravel the atomic structure of crystals. Every secondary school student is familiar with Watson and Crick's exploit of 1953 which identified the double helix structure of DNA from the x-ray diffraction work of Franklin and Wilkins, probably the most famous piece of crystallographic work ever. It is therefore hardly surprising that scientists have been eager to obtain the brightest light sources, in order to understand the atomic and electronic structure ofmatter better and better. In parts of the infrared, in the visible and in the near DV, the invention of the laser has provided an extraordinary tool,which has led to many exciting discoveries and applications. Over a much broader range, encompassing not only the infrared and the visible, but also the whole of the UV and the x-rays to wavelengths well below 0.05 nm, the tool of choice for many scientists is synchrotron radiation (or synchrotron light) i.e. the bright emission of highly collimated electromagnetic waves from electrons (or positrons) orbiting at ultrarelativistic energies in storage rings with diameters of tens to several hundreds of meters (generally called with the slightly improper term synchrotrons). In spite of their large dimensions and associated cost, there are some 50 or so storage rings around the world built and operated solely for the purpose ofproducing light, and more are under construction. Although synchrotron light is ever so popular today, the basic phenomena underlying this way of producing light are by no means very recent or novel. The electromagnetic theory of Maxwell, which very naturally contains aspects later formalised in the special theory of relativity, is all that is needed to predict the basics of synchrotron light. The radiation of accelerated charges, e.g of charged particles following a circular trajectory at constant speed, and subject therefore to centripetal acceleration, has a very different angular distribution depending on whether the speed of

The Röntgen centenary.

One hundred years ago in November 1895, when Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen discovered X-rays, a new scientific age began which has dominated our own century. Rontgen himself was one of the late 19th century physicists involved in the exciting investigations opening up at that time into the possibilities which electrical applications were creating. To understand the significance of Rontgen's discovery, it is helpful to look at the years preceding his discovery and the context within which his work took place.

Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy (1896)

The object of this publication is to put on record in permanent form some of the most striking applications of the New Photography to the needs of Medicine and Surgery. The progress of this new Art has been so rapid that, although Prof. Rontgen's discovery is only a thing of yesterday, it has already taken its place among the approved and accepted aids to diagnosis. At the first moment, the statement that it had been found possible to penetrate the fleshy coverings of the bones, and to photograph their substance and contour, seemed the realization of almost an impossible scientific dream. The first essays were of a rough and imperfect character; week after week, however, improvements have been made in the practical application of the Art, which I venture to call Skiagraphy; and, at the present time, we are in a position to obtain a visible image of every bone and joint in the body.

Advances in basic science: have they benefited patients with cancer?

Sir James McKenzie Davidson was a practising ophthalmic surgeon at the time of the report of Rontgen's discovery of X rays in December 1895. He was quick to perceive the potential application in medicine; within weeks he had built his own apparatus and by February 1896 was producing X-ray pictures, including one of the foot with six digits, which was published in a new journal The Archives of Skiagraphy. By the summer of 1897 he had visited Röntgen in Germany and moved to London in order to devote himself to radiology and was engaged in demonstrating its value widely in medicine. He did, for example, in that year, draw attention to the importance of X rays to the diagnosis of urinary calculi, publishing a radiograph of a bladder stone (Burrows, 1986). McKenzie Davidson, a true pioneer in the application of radiology to medicine, through the two decades in which he worked prior to his untimely death in 1919, stressed the fundamental importance of a knowledge of physics and he himself was actively engaged applying it to radiology right up to the time of his death. In the past 70 years radiology has expanded beyond the imagination of anyone, even the like of McKenzie Davidson. Diagnostic imaging has been divided into a number of separate disciplines and the therapeutic application has long since separated to become clinical oncology.

The Cavendish Laboratory

The article describes how the characteristic working pattern of the Cavendish Laboratory developed under the leadership of J.J. Thomson, being particularly stimulated by Rontgen's discovery and by the coincidental admission of research students from abroad, of whom Rutherford was among the first. The effect of two world wars is described, showing especially how the second led to a conscious diversification away from Rutherford's concentration on nuclear physics. As a result new initiatives in radioastronomy, low-temperature physics and, above all, molecular biology considerably widened the influence of the laboratory in world science. The account concludes with a brief resume of the relationship between mathematics and physics in Cambridge, Mott's restoration of theoretical physics to a central role in the Cavendish.

Intravascular contrast media--the past, the present and the future. Mackenzie Davidson Memorial Lecture, April 1981.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am greatly honoured by being invited to deliver this, the 57th Mackende Davidson Lecture, for this is one of the greatest distinctions that British radiology can bestow. James Mackenzie Davidson, born in 1856, graduated M.B., CM. in 1882 at Aberdeen University and became an ophthalmic surgeon at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. But he was much more versatile than a mere doctor of clinical medicine. Mackenzie Davidson was a great experimentalist and an enthusiastic proponent and public lecturer in the natural sciences. He was so greatly excited by Rontgen's discovery of X-rays in November 1895, that he visited Rontgen at Wurzburg, Germany, a few months later. The very next year he left Aberdeen and moved to London to work as consultant surgeon at the Royal London Ophthalmic, Moorfields and Charing Cross Hospitals with particular responsibility to establish their departments of radiology. Mackenzie Davidson soon became an acknowledged leader of the fledgling profession of...

The development of radiation protection

The harm that might be caused by radiation exposure was recognised within months of Rontgen's discovery of X-rays, and recommendations for protection of patients and workers with radiation were formulated first in 1928. In the light of increasing radiobiological, genetic and human epidemiological evidence, it became clear that there might be no threshold, below which harmful effects did not occur. Recommendation and practice in radiation protection reflected this opinion from the early 1950s, and emphasised the consequent need for minimising exposures, quantifying risks and revising the dose limits appropriate for internal radiation of body organs.

Early days of experimental radiology

My brief is to give some account of the early history of experimental radiology and its relevance—if any—to our anniversary celebrations. The beginning can be fixed with precision: the day when Rontgen gave the world something quite new. The date when “early” can be discarded was decided for me by a would-be contributor to our Journal whose paper I refereed. On pointing out to the author that his conclusions were already accepted, and ten years old at that, he replied with engaging unconcern, “That could well be: I never read anything published before 1940.” That fixes the date! Let us see what he had missed. In 1896 a person actively interested in Rontgen's discovery had the choice either of investigating the possibilities of diagnostic radiology or of studying the biological effects of radiation. Some followed one course, unknowingly playing with fire: of these a proportion burnt their fingers and ultimately became danger signals to their followers: among them were the martyrs. Others became radiation b...

Reception of Röntgen's discovery in Britain and U.S.A.

Reception of Röntgen's discovery in Britain and U.S.A.

International College of Radiology in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology

HomeRadiologyVol. 93, No. 6 PreviousNext ArticlesInternational College of Radiology in Oto-Rhino-LaryngologyPublished Online:Dec 1 1969https://doi.org/10.1148/93.6.1328MoreSectionsPDF ToolsImage ViewerAdd to favoritesCiteTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked In AbstractThe International College of Radiology in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology will hold its Fifth International Symposium at Würzburg, Germany, Sept. 28–30, 1970. The meeting will be held in collaboration with the Chair of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology of Wurzburg University in tribute to Rontgen's discovery of x-rays in that city seventy years before (1895). The scientific program will cover especially the following problems: 1. Modern technics and methods of radiologic information.2. Angiography, scintigraphy, and cinematography in examination of the head and neck.3. Radiological findings before and after surgery in the middle ear and the mastoid.4. Methods of positive and negative contrast in otoneuroradiology.5. Radiotherapy in the tumors of the epipharynx and the base of the skull.6. Radiotherapy of lymph node metastasis in the neck.In addition, there will be two panel discussions concerning x-ray diagnosis and therapy.The presentations should not be longer than twenty minutes each; free papers ten minutes. Simultaneous translation will be provided into English, French, Spanish, and German.Inquiries should be addressed to Prof. Dr. H. L. Wullstein, Univ.-HNO-Klinik, D—8700 Würzburg, Germany.Article HistoryPublished in print: Dec 1969 FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsRecommended Articles RSNA Education Exhibits RSNA Case Collection Vol. 93, No. 6 Metrics Altmetric Score PDF download

The history of man-made radiation

Let me, therefore, begin at the very beginning: we are informed that Peking 'Man' knew how to make fire a million years ago so the history of man-made radiation dates from our earliest knowledge of the human race. But for the conference on 'Radiation measurements in nuclear power' I restricted myself to man-made radiation of high quantum energy only, and I can begin almost at the year when the word 'quantum' was first used with its modern connotation. I shall in fact begin with Rontgen's discovery, at the end of 1895, of x rays emanating from a highly exhausted vacuum tube—a Crookes tube.

Diamond Jubilee

Diamond JubileePublished Online:28 Jan 2014https://doi.org/10.1259/0007-1285-29-341-233SectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail AboutAbstractThe Preface to the first number of The Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy bears the date April 2, 1896, but it is not clear whether it was actually published then or in the following May. Two things, however, are quite certain: firstly that The Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy was the first Journal to be devoted entirely to Radiology, and secondly that The British Journal of Radiology can proudly trace a direct descent from it. We have chosen this number, therefore, to celebrate the double anniversary: our own Diamond Jubilee as well as that of World Radiological Literature.The Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy and its immediate successor Archives of the Roentgen Ray make fascinating reading. The rapidity with which the newly discovered radiations—Rontgen's discovery was made in November, 1895—were put to use firstly in medicine and then in a variety of other fields is particularly impressive. Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 29, Issue 341May 1956Pages: 233-296 © The British Institute of Radiology History Published onlineJanuary 28,2014 Metrics Download PDF

Some Reflections on the Position and Scientific Role of the Institute

Once every year you bestow upon one of your fellow members the supreme honour and responsibility of election to the Presidential Chair of this, the oldest Radiological Society in the world stemming from the Rontgen Society, whose first general meeting was held in London in June 1897, nearly 58 years ago and less then two years after Professor Rontgen's discovery of X rays. With its past history and background of achievement, it was with considerable diffidence, not unmixed with misgivings, that I accepted the high honour and responsibility you laid upon me last year, in electing me as your President for this session. I say this for three main reasons. Firstly we are a mixed body of men and women, linked with a common bond in that we are all, for practical purposes, concerned in one way or another with the use of ionizing radiations in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, as well as the effect of these agents on the health of the individual. We are composed of groups who may differ widely in the charact...

Microradiography. II. Projection microradiography.

The simplest method of microradiography uses a normal X-ray tube and a fine-grained photographic plate in close contact with the specimen. The negative is enlarged optically up to ×500 depending on the grain size and density distribution in the photographic emulsion and also on the thickness of specimen, X-ray focal spot size and tube distance. This contact method has had a long and varied history, starting less than two years after Rontgen's discovery of X rays. One of the earliest references is the programme of the Inaugural Meeting of the Rontgen Society, November 5, 1897, where Mr. F. H. Neville (from this Laboratory) showed Microskiagrams of sections of sodium—gold alloys (Robertson, 1954). Since that time other workers have used contact microradiography in biology, medicine, metallurgy and other fields with a gradual realisation of the value of the method. More recently, Engstrom (1950) has placed microradiography on a quantitative basis for determining the mass and element distribution in a specime...

American College of Radiology Observes the Fiftieth Anniversary of Rontgen's Discovery

American College of Radiology Observes the Fiftieth Anniversary of Rontgen's Discovery

Roentgen Radiations in Biological Research

The purpose of this paper is to recount briefly the work of those biologists who first studied the effect of roentgen rays on living cells, and to show how the results that they obtained, often under great difficulties, have provided the basis of subsequent investigation. Progress in this field has not been steady. During the first dozen years after Rontgen's discovery, the pioneers carried on exploratory work and saw dearly the fundamental problems which should be solved. But in the next dozen years interest in x-ray research waned, although radiotherapy was advancing rapidly. Biologists turned their attention to radium radiations and with their use made important contributions, especially to experimental embryology. Early in the third decade of the present century x-rays again began to be used in biological research and have been increasingly employed ever since. The literature is now extensive. In this review it is possible to cite only a few examples of research in some of the fields of investigation....

Organized Roentgenology in America

The rapid advance of roentgenology in America owes much to the association of radiologists in national and local organizations. The three large national bodies are the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Radiological Society of North America, and the American College of Radiology, and it is to these that the present paper is chiefly devoted. These societies, together with the Section on Radiology of the American Medical Association and the American Radium Society, participated in the organization of the American Board of Radiology in 1934 and through their representatives sponsor its activities. Certification by the Board, after meeting its requirements, marks a radiologist as well grounded in his specialty and qualified to practise it in one or more of its special fields. American Roentgen Ray Society On March 26, 1900, less than five years after Rontgen's great discovery, a group of workers with x-rays met in St. Louis and organized the “Roentgen Society of the United States.” Eight states, mostly mid-we...