William Herbert Rollins
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William Herbert Rollins | |
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| Born | June 19, 1852 Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | 1929 (aged 76-77) |
| Occupations | Scientist, inventor, dentist |
William Herbert Rollins (June 19, 1852 - 1929) was an American scientist, inventor, and dentist. He was a pioneer in radiation protection. Many of his inventions and investigations in medical radiography and photography have been ranked in importance with those of Thomas A. Edison, Elihu Thomson, and William J. Morton.
Rollins, a practicing dentist, had a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He spent a great deal of his spare time, after the day's work, studying the recently discovered X-rays. Rollins referred to the penetrating rays as "X-light".
William studied dentistry as an apprentice to Dr. Kidder of Lawrence for three years. He then entered Harvard University School of Dentistry, graduating with the degree of D.M.D. in 1873, at the age of 21 years. A member of the faculty referred to Rollins as "one of the brightest men who has ever been graduated from the Dental School at Harvard."
In his workshop, Rollins developed a number of pioneering instruments for dentistry and improved on existing ones.
Radiation protection
John Trowbridge, Professor of Physics at Harvard University, wrote, "No one appears to have had the experience of Dr. Rollins in exhausting X-ray tubes to the point of greatest efficiency". Rollins was one of the earliest pioneers to understand the possible dangers of X-rays.
Following a radiation-induced injury to his hand,[1] Rollins developed new X-ray technology and techniques to reduce patient exposure to radiation. Such developments include the introduction of leaded X-ray tube casings, the use of collimators, and the invention of high-voltage tubes.[2] In 1901, he suggested practitioners and patients wear leaded glasses and a radiopaque shield to cover the parts of the patient's body that were not being X-rayed.[3]
In 1902 Rollins wrote, almost despairingly, that his warnings about the dangers involved in careless use of X-rays were not being heeded by industry or by his colleagues. By this time Rollins had proven that X-rays could kill animals, cause a pregnant guinea pig to abort, and kill a fetus.[4] He also stressed that "animals vary in susceptibility to the external action of X-light" and warned that these differences should be considered when patients were treated by means of X-rays.
Rollins' findings eventually became standard practice, and he has been dubbed the "father of radiation protection". He was a member of the Radiological Society of North America, and its first treasurer.[3]
