Earlier this year, at its annual April celebration, I had the rewarding privilege of being one of the guest speakers when the Texas Radiological Society celebrated its centennial anniversary gathering. The society organized itself in 1914 and has grown to more than 2000 members. It has devoted its efforts to supporting the advances of radiology in medicine, in compensation with the state support for health care, and in forms of the leadership of American strength of dynamics of world service of diagnostic and oncologic radiology.
Later this year, the Radiological Society of North America will begin celebrating its growth to the largest x-ray organization in the world from its organization in 1915. A few years ago, the Philadelphia Roentgen Society celebrated its history. Last fall, the New York City Radiology Society observed its growth. And in 1995, a century after Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen’s discovery of x-rays, all of the American radiology societies, most of the companies that provided supplies and equipment, hundreds of American radiology practice groups, plus national societies in Canada, England, Australia, Japan, and other thriving countries united in describing the fortunes of the century of radiology advances.
The American College of Radiology (ACR) accepted the structure of the centennial celebration. Glen Hartman of the Mayo Clinic had started the effort and, sadly, perished before the centennial year. John Tampas of Vermont was the president of the centennial teams. I had the privilege of leading the committees, managing their efforts, and raising funds for the centennial organization. I have helped with some other celebrations and, in my retirement, I have written history volumes, essays, and columns about the history of radiology practice.
To set the record straight, I admit that I was not trained as a physician or as a specialist in radiology, But when I was employed by the ACR in 1961 as its second director of public relations, my early task was to learn about radiology so that I could explain its history, its obligations, its functions, its competition, and its advancement into modern medicine. I have never stopped accounting that, even since I retired from the ACR in 1997.
With Roentgen’s discovery of x-ray beams on human tissues, some doctors were prompt to grasp the value of looking at human anatomy and directing radiation to impact cancer and other skin ailments. Companies offered products for operating medical x-rays. A few medical societies were created and published journals. But there were no definitions about radiation functions, no training and certification for aspiring doctors, and no franchises or licensure for what was interesting x-rays. Indeed, it was not until 1934 that an American Board of Radiology was organized to set the status of a discipline in radiology.
Then and later, many doctors in private practice, in surgery, obstetrics, orthopedics, dentistry, cardiology, gastrointestinal and neurological service, and obstetrics and pediatrics were persuaded to buy an x-ray machine, use it in their office, or conduct roentgenology in hospitals. A few of the other physicians even made contributions on x-ray procedures, such as viewing gall bladders.
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<
Get Radiology Tree app to read full this article<