Book Review

Radiology: An Illustrated History

N Engl J Med 1993; 328:738March 11, 1993

Article

Radiology: An Illustrated History
By Ronald L. Eisenberg. 606 pp., illustrated. St. Louis, Mosby-Year Book, 1992. $99. ISBN: 0-8016-1526-7

The year 1995 will mark the centennial of Roentgen's discovery of the x-ray, a notable event prompting renewed interest in the history of radiology. Few among us, even senior radiologists, have more than a cursory knowledge of this history. Until now, there has been no comprehensive modern textbook on the history of radiology. Certainly, none is quite as comprehensive or as ambitious as Radiology: An Illustrated History by Ronald L. Eisenberg, a practicing radiologist. The scope of this book leaves little beyond its reach. It begins with the foundations of ancient Greek science and extends to the modern era. The topics encompass almost every facet of the science and art of radiology, including the early days of discovery, the technology, the development of clinical diagnosis, the emergence of new imaging methods, and the development of therapeutic applications. This book is truly an illustrated history, containing just under 1000 fascinating figures.

It is surprising to find that the idea for this expertly rendered history came not from a special interest in the topic on the part of the author but, rather, from a response by a colleague to the author's request for a suggested topic for a new book. The unexpected result is a highly polished gem. The author tapped several bountiful resources for valuable historical information and wonderful illustrations, including the American College of Radiology, the Science Museum and Wellcome Collection in London, the German Roentgen Museum in Remscheid-Lennep, the Deutsches Museum in Munich, the Countway Library at Harvard Medical School, the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Burndy Library in Norwalk, Connecticut. Dr. Eisenberg has used his own broad knowledge of radiology to set this information in an appropriate historical context. Each page is laid out beautifully with multiple illustrations, including diagrams, radiographs, advertising copy, and various photographs. I especially enjoyed the generous inclusion of portraits of the many great contributors to the history of radiology.

The well-written text starts with Roentgen's predecessors and advances to modern times. The author has done a particularly noteworthy job of summarizing the fascinating early history of the field. I think readers will find the description of early radiation injuries particularly poignant in the light of the evident safety of radiology in modern times. In the subsequent sections, the author has distilled the seminal aspects of a wide range of topics. The sections dealing with technology and clinical diagnosis are reasonably complete overviews. Although one might argue with some of the specific choices for inclusion and exclusion, these disagreements are unavoidable in a relatively short book on a broad topic. The section on the emergence of imaging methods is the least interesting, possibly because it contains relatively well known contemporary information. The section dealing with a potpourri of medicolegal, forensic, art-history, and archeological topics is well done. The inclusion of historical information on radiologic organizations, journals, and radiology education is especially welcome.

Like all books of extremely wide scope and limited size, this one inevitably suffers from the need to paint with a broad stroke. Those with specific or specialized interests may find this general history a bit thin in their particular areas of interest, and the chapter references will be of little value to the enthusiast. Aside from these understandable limitations, the book is a great improvement over its predecessors. This is the best-organized and most comprehensive textbook of its type.

The author's aim was to create a book that would inform radiologists, other physicians, and the general public about the rich history of radiology. In this endeavor, Dr. Eisenberg has been eminently successful. The book is an ideal general introduction to the many facets of the history of radiology.

Reginald Greene, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114