Abstract
Medical radiology has a historical background in the discovery of X-rays (1895), by
Wilhelm Conard Roentgen (1845–1923), who was awarded the first Nobel Prize in physics
in 1901. Civilian X-ray facility was started in India in 1900 at the General Hospital,
Madras (Chennai). Captain Thomas William Barnard was appointed as radiologist to the
Government of Madras in 1920 to organize radiological service to the presidency. It
was upgraded as Madras Government X-ray Institute (MGXI), in turn Barnard Institute
of Radiology (BIR) in 1934. Radiotherapy for cancer treatment was started in 1924
and it was one of the four radium institutes in India (1934). Major V. Arthur Ponnaiah
was the radium safety officer/first physicist who regulated radium storage, transport,
and safety. The institute started its academic programs in radiology in 1936, first
in Asia, and conducted research on age determination and forensic applications, first
in the world. This X-ray facility has completed 125 years of public service and this
article gives an overview of its origin and history at Madras (Chennai). Published
literature, hospital records, souvenir articles, media information, and personal experiences
are used to compile the present article.
Keywords
history of X-rays - Madras General Hospital - Captain Barnard - pioneer X-ray department
in India - first X-ray image - Barnard Institute of Radiology
