Medical science has come a long way from the days of bloodletting and using the four humours to diagnose illnesses.
While X-rays date back to the late 19th century, it was only when doctors realised the internal structures of the body could cast shadows of this mysterious “X-Light” that diagnostic possibilities really took off, beyond educated guesswork and exploratory surgery.
But how are these X-rays detected and turned into helpful images?
For over a century after they were discovered, photographic film was the dominant way of detecting medical X-rays, because the chemical process that makes photo film sensitive to X-rays is essentially the same as light photography.
However, screen-film radiography is now being replaced by digital radiography, which employs solid-state sensors and fully digital image capture and storage to provide clearer, safer images with less radiation.
This is just one of many ways in which medical science has advanced dramatically over the last century.
