Martin, John Hume (1919 - )

Summary

John Hume accepted an appointment as Head of the Physics Department of the Cancer Institute, Melbourne in 1950, after having just completed a PhD at the University of London. The work of the department included the physical aspects of the medical use of beams of radiation and radioactive isotopes. He worked with Prince Henry's Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne to enable them to utilise radioactive isotopes. At one point the department had a staff of 40 including 10 professional physicists. He served on the Board of Studies in Nuclear Science and Engineering at the University of Melbourne and on the National Health and Medical Research Council Advisory Committee on Radiotherapy and Radiation Hazards. He was also a member of the Australian Atomic Weapons Tests Safety Committee. He organised the the first Australasian Conference on Radiation Biology in 1955 and the second in 1958. The conference supported him in founding the Australian Radiation Society in 1957. In 1960 he returned to the United Kingdom to a position at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA).

Details

Much of this entry, including the list of publications below resulting from his work in Melbourne, comes from his CV c1965 courtesy of Stephen Martin:

Papers published while with Cancer Institute

"The Physicist's Contribution to Cancer Treatment and Research", J. H. Martin, Med. J. Aust. 1952, I, 134.
"Radiation Doses to the Gonads in Diagnostic Radiology and their relation to the Long Term Genetic Hazard", Med. J. Aust. 1955, II, 806.
"The Relevance of a Variety of Radiation Sources to the Long Term Genetic Hazard", Aust. J. Science, 1956, 19, 45.
"The Use of Cadmium Sulphide Crystals in Probe and Needle Dose Measuring Systems", Brit. J. Radiol. (1956) 29,427. (G. F. Maulden and J. H. Martin)
"Necessity and Means of Protecting Patients in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology", Proc. Coll. Radiol. Aust, (1957) I, 103.
"The Concept of Absorbed Dose and its Application to Radiotherapy", Commonwealth of Australia Health Department Technical Communication No. 71 (Prepared by J. F. Richardson and J. H. Martin) 1957.
"The Contribution to the Gene Material of the Population from the Medical Use of Ionizing Radiation", Med. J. Aust. (1958), II, 79.
"An Estimate of the Potential L,mkaemogenic Factor in the Diagnostic use of X-Rays", Med. J. Aust. (1958) II, 157.
"Protection of the Testis in the Treatment of Seminoma of the Testis", Med. Jo Aust. 1958, II , 602. (J. H. Martin and E. A. Evans).
"Globall Fallout in Australia during the period 26th November 1956 to 31st December 1957", Aust. J. Science, 1958, 21, 8. (D. Keam, L. J. Dwyer, J. H. Martin and E.W. Titterton).
"Experiments on the "Sticky Paper" Method of Radioadive Fallout Sampling", Aust. J. Science, 1958, 21, 99. (D. W. Kearn, L. J. Dwyer, J. H. Martin, D. J. Stevens, E.W. Titterton).
"An Apparatus for Loading and Unloading Ovoids", Brit. J. Radiol. 1959, 32j 277. (A. S. Manson and J. H. Martin).
"Tumours of the Bladder, Radiotherapeutic Aspects", Proc. Coll. Radiol. Aust. 1959, 3, 67.
"Radiation outside the Defined Field", Brit. J. Radiol. 1959, 32, 7. (J. H. Martin and Ann Evans).
"Radiation Hazards in Medical Practice", The Indian Practitioner, 1959, 12, 93.
"Globall Fallout in Australia during 1958", Aust. J. Science, 1959, 22, 51. (D. Ke:am, L. J. Dwyer, J. H. Martin, E. W. T:i.tte:eton).
"Strontium-90 in the Australian Environment, 1957-58", Nature 1959, 184, 755. (F. J. Bryant, J. H. Martin, D. J. Stevens, E. w. Titterton).
"Megavoltage Radiotherapy" , Med. J. Aust. 1959, II, 668. (W. P. Holman and J. H. Martin).
"Radiation Quality and Bone Marrow Dose in Radiology", Proceedings of the Second Australasian Conference on Radiation Biology. (J. H. Martin and G. Muller),
"Accuracy in Radiotherapy", Radiology, 75, No. 4, 552-558, 1960. (J. H. Martin, E. A. Evans and F. J. Anderson).
"Studies of the Narrow Beam Absorption Characteristics of Aqueous Solution of Metal Salts", Brit. J. Radiol. 1961, 34, No. 339, 176.
"Therapeutic Possibilities Using Particle Radiations", J. Coll. Radiol. Aust. (1960), 4, 55.
"Quantity and Quality of Scatte1.ed X Rays", Brit. J. Radiol. 1961, 34, No. 400. (J. H. Martin and G. M. Muller).

Chronology

1940

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) with first class honours in physics, St Andrews University

1940 - 1944

Career position - Scientific Assistant, later Junior Scientific Officer, Royal Aircraft Establishment

1944 - 1950

Career position - Physics Department, Royal Cancer Hospital London

1950

Education - PhD Universiyt of London

1950 - 1960

Career position - Head, Physics Department Cancer Institute Melbourne

1951

Award - Fellow Institute of Physics

1958

Career event - Second Australasian Conference on Radiation Biology 15-18 December 1958

Related entries

Published resources

Conference Proceedings

• Radiation Biology: Proceedings of the Second Australasian Conference on Radiation Biology held at the University of Melbourne, 15-18 December, 1958 edited by Martin, J.H. (New York: Academic Pres Inc., 1959), https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5561618. Details

Journal Articles

• 'Radiation Society of Australia', Nature, 180 (1957), 120-121, https://doi.org/10.1038/180120c0. Details