Radioactivity in Man and His Environment

Abstract

A Tradition, upheld almost without exception in the long history of the Röntgen Society and the British Institute of Radiology, is the delivery of an address to the Institute by the President during his term of office. I am very conscious of the honour that falls to me to address you as President and very much aware of the responsibility of following my distinguished predecessors in the fulfilment of this obligation. In recent years, by a change of Articles of Association, the Institute has re-emphasised a characteristic that has always been implied by the nature of its membership—a wide interest in all that pertains to the science of radiation and radioactivity. Many presidential addresses given in this house bear witness to the activities and interest which spring from the Institute's constitution and to the bonds of cooperation and of service to radiology which exist between its medical and non-medical members. It seemed appropriate, therefore, that I should speak on this occasion about radioactivity in man and his environment and give thereby a practical example of the width of interests encompassed by the Institute. Moreover, the subject I have chosen is of interest and importance to all who use ionizing radiation and is one which, although having significance in the problems of today, has also the historic interest of belonging to the scientific discoveries of the early years of this century.