216 
to be fully evaluated, but may find an 
important place in the future. Cyclo- 
tron-produced neutroa beams have 
been investigated for about 10 years at 
the University of California with 
interesting but inconclusive results to 
date. While all this spectrum of 
ionizing radiations will need to be 
thoroughly studied, it is already clear 
that roentgen rays produced by a few 
million volts have the most direct con- 
nection with the extensive roentgen- 
therapy experience of the past and 
offer very significantly improved prop- 
erties for the treatment of deep 
malignant tumors. 
Electrostatics in Production 
Only a few supervoltage equipments 
constructed by skillful experimenters 
have thus far been available for re- 
search and medicine. With increasing 
recognition of the unique capabilities 
of electrostatic accelerators, there de- 
veloped a corresponding need for a 
reliable commercial source of such 
devices. Toward the end of 1946, 
after efforts to utilize existing com- 
panies, the High Voltage Engineering 
Corp. was organized in response to 
this urgent requirement. Located in 
a plant near Harvard University, 
staffed in part by men who partici- 
pated in the wartime electrostatic 
program of the Institute and with 
consultants from M. I. T., the Uni- 
versity of Wisconsin, and Rice Insti- 
tute, this company has gathered the 
best scientific experience in this im- 
portant and difficult technique for the 
benefit of science and medicine. 
The new enterprise was financed by 
the American Research and Develop- 
ment Corp., recently organized by 
leading New England citizens, in- 
cluding Senator Ralph E. Flanders of 
Vermont and MHarvard’s General 
Georges F. Doriot, who is its president. 
Advised by Technology’s president, 
Karl T. Compton, Prof. Edwin R. 
Gilliland, °33, of the Department of 
ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
Chemical Engineering, Jerome C. 
Hunsaker, °12, head of the Depart- 
ments of Aeronautical and Mechanical 
Engineering, and others, the American 
Research and Development Corp. 
has the purpose of encouraging the 
development of new industries with 
strong roots in science. No organiza- 
tional or financial connection exists 
between Technology and the High 
Voltage Engineering Corp., but a 
mutual appreciation of the need for 
adequate commercial development 
of the products of scientific research 
has created an atmosphere of common 
endeavor. The High Voltage En- 
gineering Corp. is headed by Dr. 
Denis M. Robinson, who was Com- 
monwealth fellow at M. I. T. in 1929, 
scientific representative of the Tele- 
communications Research Establish- 
ment (Britain’s radar development 
laboratory) assigned to the Radiation 
Laboratory at M. I. T. during the 
war, and in the first postwar year 
chairman of the Department of Elec- 
trical Engineering at the University of 
Birmingham in England. 
Typically a product of modern 
times, the High Voltage Engineering 
Corp. is building the latest tool for 
medical science against cancer—a 
compact 2-million-volt X-ray source 
fully as flexible as conventional lower- 
voltage equipments. Such 2-million- 
volt generators, engineered for therapy 
and science, are already scheduled 
for shipment to leading medical and 
research institutions in England, 
France, and the United States. At 
the same time, recognizing that it 
possesses the knowledge and ability 
for creating one of the most powerful 
tools for nuclear research, this com- 
pany is undertaking the production of 
electrostatic positive-ion accelerators 
of still higher energy rating. It is 
hoped that by this means not a few of 
the products of fundamental science 
and engineering may become available 
for the full use and benefit of all 
mankind. 
