First X-Ray Facility in Asia: 125 Years of Excellence

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.