{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T07:13:44Z","timestamp":1788246824460,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Med. Hist."],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The onset of the atomic age in India embodied a unique postcolonial ambition to harness atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Within this vision, nuclear medicine became a key instrument to modernise the country\u2019s colonial healthcare infrastructure. For India\u2019s nascent community of radiologists, radioisotopes offered a promising frontier in clinical research and therapeutic applications. Yet the development of nuclear medicine was far from a straightforward extension of atomic research into clinical practice. Instead, it took shape within a centralised framework that concentrated technological resources and expertise in a small number of metropolitan centres. The centralisation of nuclear medicine practice was not merely a response to the resource constraints of a postcolonial economy. It also reflected a technopolitical project that linked the modernisation of public healthcare to expanding atomic energy infrastructure. Situating the emergence of nuclear medicine within the intertwined histories of radiology, cancer care, and atomic energy research, the paper examines the postcolonial aspiration to harness advanced medical specialities through the atomic enterprise. In doing so, it unpacks the technopolitics of nuclear medicine, highlighting the politico-epistemic negotiations that shaped its institutionalisation in India.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/mdh.2026.10076","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T06:23:27Z","timestamp":1788243807000},"page":"1-15","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u2018A heart within, a God overhead\u2019: the making of nuclear medicine in postcolonial India, 1947\u20131985"],"prefix":"10.1017","author":[{"given":"Kapil","family":"Patil","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05aqahr97","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/s41292-020-00223-3"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref20","first-page":"48","article-title":"Welcome Address on 24th December 1947","volume":"2","author":"Joshi","year":"1948","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref48","volume-title":"Radiation Medicine Centre \u2013 Silver Jubilee 1963\u20131988","year":"1989"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref7","first-page":"49","article-title":"Inaugural Address Before the Second Indian Congress of Radiology","volume":"2","author":"Mehta","year":"1948","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref30","first-page":"103","article-title":"Editorial","volume":"2","author":"Rai","year":"1948","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref32","first-page":"207","article-title":"The Early Years of Nuclear Medicine: A Retelling","volume":"9","author":"Obaldo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1504\/AFP.2008.019895"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref22","first-page":"101","article-title":"Presidential Address at the Sixth Indian Congress of Radiology","volume":"6","author":"Deboo","year":"1952","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref50","first-page":"16S","article-title":"The Decline and Fall of the Rectilinear Scanner: Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation 1970\u20131995","volume":"23","author":"MacIntyre","year":"1995","journal-title":"Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref3","first-page":"210","article-title":"The Contradictory Spaces of Postcolonial Techno-Science","author":"Abraham","year":"2006","journal-title":"Economic and Political Weekly"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/670954"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref29","first-page":"16","article-title":"Recent Advances in Radiotherapy \u2013 Paper Read at the 5th Indian Congress of Radiology, Calcutta, 1951","volume":"5","author":"Roy","year":"1951","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref19","first-page":"54","article-title":"Presidential Address Third Indian Congress of Radiology, Calcutta, 25th December 1948","volume":"3","author":"Rama","year":"1949","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1215\/00021482-11407770"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5114\/jcb.2014.45761"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref14"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref23","first-page":"71","article-title":"Indian Radiological Association Recommendation on Legislative and Administrative Measures for the Control of Practice of Radiology and Purchase of Equipment Act","volume":"5","year":"1951","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref17"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref25","first-page":"197","article-title":"Presidential Address at the Fourteenth Congress of Radiology, Hyderabad, 1960","volume":"13","author":"Roy","year":"1961","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"001","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0045-1814151","article-title":"First X-Ray Facility in Asia: 125 Years of Excellence","volume":"5","author":"Thayalan","year":"2026","journal-title":"Indographics"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref24","first-page":"4","article-title":"Cancer in India \u2013 Lecture Delivered at Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, 20th March 1950","volume":"2","author":"Khanolkar","year":"1950","journal-title":"Vijnan-Karmee"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14429\/dsj.40.4475"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.16943\/ijhs\/2017\/v52i2\/49055"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref37","first-page":"i","article-title":"Editorial \u2013 Radioisotopes in Medicine","volume":"15","author":"Menon","year":"1961","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref40","first-page":"1","article-title":"The 12th Indian Congress of Radiology \u2013 Editorial Comment","volume":"12","author":"Rai","year":"1958","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref47","volume-title":"A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission","volume":"2","author":"Hewlett","year":"1990"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/507133"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-509X.263039"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref4"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/02841869509127236"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1525\/hsps.2005.36.1.71"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4321\/S0211-95362009000100010"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref28","first-page":"192","article-title":"Radiotherapy Organisation \u2013 Paper Read at the 8th Indian Congress of Radiology, Madras, 1954","volume":"8","author":"Roy","year":"1954","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref15","first-page":"1","article-title":"History of the Growing Burden of Cancer in India: From Antiquity to the 21st Century","volume":"5","author":"Smith","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Global Oncology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref31","first-page":"39","article-title":"Presidential Address","volume":"13","author":"Sethna","year":"1959","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/0972-3919.245053"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0038022919910106"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07341512.2021.1905462"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref10"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0007087425000317"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref21","first-page":"39","article-title":"Editorial \u2013 Our Needs","volume":"3","author":"Rai","year":"1949","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4321\/S0211-95362009000100011"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14429\/dsj.40.4476"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref27","first-page":"53","article-title":"Presidential Address by Dr K.P. Mody, Head of the Department of Radiology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Bombay","volume":"2","author":"Mody","year":"1948","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Radiology"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14429\/dsj.40.4473"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/507140"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.14429\/dsj.40.4476"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref9"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref46","volume-title":"Indelible Footprints on the Sands of Time: Commemorating Seventy-Five Years of Tata Memorial Centre.","author":"Goel","year":"2017"},{"key":"S0025727326100763_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00122899"}],"container-title":["Medical History"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S0025727326100763","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T06:23:33Z","timestamp":1788243813000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S0025727326100763\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"references-count":50,"alternative-id":["S0025727326100763"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/mdh.2026.10076","relation":{},"ISSN":["0025-7273","2048-8343"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0025-7273","type":"print"},{"value":"2048-8343","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}]}}