Making sense of shadows: Dr. James Third and the introduction of x-rays, 1896 to 1902.
The discovery of x-rays was announced by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in December 1895. This review of the introduction of the use of x-rays in Kingston, Ont., shows the rapidity of their adoption in Canadian medicine. By February 1896 "x-ray photographs" were being taken by Captain John Cochrane of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston. Initially a scientific and popular curiosity, the new rays were quickly applied to medicine, and by the fall of 1896 the Kingston General Hospital had acquired its own x-ray apparatus. The hospital superintendent, Dr. James Third, became a leading practitioner and promoter of radiographic diagnosis and radiation therapy. He published, in 1902, the first comprehensive review of the diagnostic and therapeutic uses of x-rays by a Canadian physician. Third's writings reveal his technical knowledge, his organized approach to the application of radiography to clinical medicine and his cautious attitude. Like other physicians who have witnessed the introduction of new diagnostic techniques, Third feared that the new technology would usurp the physician's clinical skills.
D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000266:history; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000266:history*; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education / Q000266:history*; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000266:history*