Role of scientific societies in disseminating knowledge and fostering research on x-rays

On December 28, 1895, W.C. Röntgen submitted to the Wurzburg Physical Medical Society his paper, "On a New Kind of Rays," for publication. By the time he presented it orally on January 23, 1896, worldwide interest had been generated by newspaper publicity, which first appeared on January 7. Scientific societies through their meetings and official journals played an important part in stimulating interest and fostering research on X-rays. This paper notes specific contributions of some of these medical societies, particularly the American Philosophical Society, the New York Electrical Society, the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Electro-Therapeutic Association. By the end of 1896, 50 scientific books and more than 1000 scientific papers on X-rays had been published.