LOOKING not unlike a cross between Dr Frankenstein's laboratory and an electrical sub-station, this tiled and functional space was Glasgow Royal Infirmary's first X-ray unit.
Discovered in the 1870s, X-rays were a medical miracle, allowing doctors to see inside a living body.
The first use of X-rays under clinical conditions was by John Hall-Edwards in Birmingham, in January 1896, when he found a needle stuck in the hand of a friend.
Despite the radiation dangers of X rays, manufacturers were quick to capitalise on them. By the 1930s, most UK shoe shops featured large X-ray machines - Pedoscopes - with which customers could watch their toe bones wiggling inside their shoes.
Today, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are the latest technology.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article