15. Early X-Ray Machines
While X-Rays have doubtlessly saved hundreds of thousands of lives both through improved diagnostics and interventional radiographic medicine, early medical use of X-Rays was absolutely terrifying. Discovered by German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895, the use of X-Rays for medical diagnostics was quickly adopted in the United States. Samuel Monell’s 1902 manual on X-Rays, A system of instruction in X-ray methods and medical uses of light, hot-air, vibration and high-frequency currents : a pictorial system of teaching by clinical instruction plates with explanatory text, displays a lack of awareness of the dangers of X-Rays that, while appropriate for the era, is horrifying with our modern knowledge.
In his opening remarks on the new science, Monell stated, “Thus far there is no action of the X-Rays which is not also a known action of already known forms of electricity.” To the modern reader, we of course no that X-Rays are nothing like electricity and we must shudder to think of the lack of precaution early X-Ray technicians took to protect themselves and their patients from radiation exposure. It is safe to assume, from Monell’s publication, that early X-Ray patients would have been exposed to varying doses of radiation with little to no awareness of any potential dangers or side effects.