PREFACE 



The "Biological Effects of Radiation" constitutes a collective con- 

 tribution that has been developed as a by-product from one of the 

 activities of a committee now known as the Committee on Radiation, in 

 the Division of Biology and Agriculture, National Research Council. 

 In April, 1928, a group of investigators presented to the Division a sug- 

 gestive program for the encouragement and promotion of investigations 

 on the "Effects of Radiation on Organisms" and a request for assistance 

 in securing the necessary funds with which to maintain grants stimulating 

 research in this field. Approving action was taken, and a committee 

 was promptly named. The activities of this committee, under the 

 chairmanship of Dr. W. C. Curtis, 1928-1934, have been fully developed 

 in his "Cumulative Report/' as well as in annual reports, to the Division. 



For the purpose of clarifying the scope of interest and for the integra- 

 tion of pertinent information relating to the irradiation of organisms and 

 other biological materials, there was organized a Subcommittee on 

 Survey. This subcommittee, and others invited to participate in a 

 discussion of radiation problems, met in Washington in March, 1930. 

 Initially this subcommittee was constituted of four groups as follows: 

 Representing genetics: A. F. Blakeslee, L. J. Stadler; general physiology: 

 Janet Howell Clark, Max Elhs, S. 0. Mast; animal development: E. E. 

 Just; plant physiology: B. M. Duggar (Chairman), C. Stuart Gager, 

 W. W. Garner, H. W. Popp. Each group proceeded to arrange for a 

 conference-discussion of interested individuals, each group bringing 

 together a score or more of persons (investigators and representatives of 

 certain apparatus manufacturers) for participation in its colloquium. 

 The expense of these meetings was met through the generosity of the 

 General Electric X-ray Corporation, of the General Electric, Cooper- 

 Hewitt, Westinghouse, and Burdick companies, and of the National 

 Research Council. Aside from the stimulative and informative value of 

 the conferences held, the chief result, eventually, was the determination 

 to bring together in the form of a Survey a collation of the available 

 material — theoretical, factual, and methodological. Such material 

 should adequately represent the present status of scientific knowledge in 

 as many as practicable of the aspects of radiation in relation to biological 

 problems. 



Accordingly the subcommittee was reorganized to include those 

 persons who were selected and who were willing to assist the editor by 

 assuming certain responsibilities in relation to the contributions to be 

 requested in the five major aspects of the Survey as planned; that is, 



