12 Applied Biophysics 



are better adapted to the needs of engineers. There can be no 

 doubt that a medical school in the closest possible contact with 

 a large general hospital is the best training ground in medical 

 physics, for even at the most elementary stage it is very doubtful 

 if the teaching of physics in medicine can be adequately dealt 

 with away from the hospital and patient. Certainly, here will 

 occur the best opportunity of making physics a real part of 

 medical education, particularly if the courses are constructed 

 so as to bring vividly and continuously before the mind of the 

 student examples of the applications of physical principles and 

 instruments in daily practice. Without such education it seems 

 improbable that the applications of physics to medicine will be 

 made as rapidly or as completely as is desirable. 



To sum up then, physics seems destined to assume an in- 

 creasing importance in medicine, by the introduction both of 

 specific techniques and of general ideas. Its influence has already 

 a fascinating historical background, but the interest at the 

 moment lies rather in the organization and training of physicists 

 devoted solely to discovery and application in medicine. There 

 arise many questions of education and cooperation for both 

 medical man and physicist, and these problems can best be 

 solved by the development of mutual understanding while work- 

 ing together. It seems that we must provide education in both 

 the biological and physical sciences to the hospital physicist of 

 the future, for the developments of biophysics are likely to play 

 an increasing part in medical practice. 



