British Institute of Radiology

The British Institute of Radiology (BIR) is a radiology society and charity[2] based in London, United Kingdom. It is the oldest institute of its kind in the world, forming on 2 April 1897.[1]

British Institute of Radiology
PredecessorThe Röntgen Society
The X-ray Society
The British Association for the Advancement of Radiology and Physiotherapy[1]
FormationApril 2, 1897; 127 years ago (1897-04-02)
HeadquartersLondon, EC1
United Kingdom
Websitebir.org.uk

History

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The society can be traced back to two separate institutes, "The X-Ray Society" in April, 1897, and "The Röntgen Society"; both were formed in the wake of the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895.[3] The latter was founded by Dr John Macintyre in 1897. He had been the first person in Britain to use X-rays, using equipment created by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 5 February 1896.[4]

The formalisation of the BIR occurred in 1927 upon the merger of the two societies.[1] The BIR became a registered charity in 1963.

Among other publications, the BIR publishes several journals including the British Journal of Radiology (BJR), and Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (the official journal of the International Association of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, IADMFR).[5] The Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy, first published in 1896, ultimately became the BJR in 1928.[6][7]

Notable past presidents

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Arms

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Coat of arms of British Institute of Radiology
Notes
Granted 19 April 2023 by the College of Arms.[11]
Crest
A demi Stag Gules attired and holding between the legs a Rod of Aesculapius bendwise Or the serpent Azure.
Escutcheon
Per chevron Or and Azure in chief two Little Owls and base issuant in chief a sun in Splendour all counterchanged.
Supporters
Dexter a man representing Wilhelm Röntgen habited in a shirt Argent a suit of clothes and shoes Sable holding in his exterior hand a Crookes Tube proper Sinister a Woman representing Marie Skłodowska Curie habited in a dress Azure and shoes Sable and holding in her exterior hand a round-bottomed Glass Flask proper both on a Compartment of Grass Vert.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "History of the British Institute of Radiology". British Institute of Radiology. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  2. ^ "The British Institute Of Radiology, registered charity no. 215869". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  3. ^ Barclay, A. E. (June 1947). "The Jubilee of the Röntgen Society". The British Journal of Radiology. 20 (234): 221–222. doi:10.1259/0007-1285-20-234-221.
  4. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0 902 198 84 X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  5. ^ "About BIR Publications". BIR Publications. British Institute of Radiology. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  6. ^ Bishop, P. J. (October 1973). "The evolution of the British Journal of Radiology". The British Journal of Radiology. 46 (550): 833–836. doi:10.1259/0007-1285-46-550-833. PMID 4585007.
  7. ^ Thomas, Adrian M. K.; Banerjee, Arpan K. (2013). The History of Radiology. OUP Oxford. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-19-166970-5.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Presidents of the British Institute of Radiology". British Institute of Radiology. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  9. ^ Daphne Christie; Tilli Tansey, eds. (2002). Peptic Ulcer: Rise and Fall. Wellcome Witnesses to Contemporary Medicine. History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group. ISBN 978-0-85484-084-7. OL 16407699M. Wikidata Q29581663.
  10. ^ Haggith, John (27 August 2004). "Obituary: Frank Farmer". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  11. ^ "September 2023 Newsletter (no. 72)". College of Arms. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
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