About William G. Myers

Ohio State Alumni: William G. Myers (1908–1988) was a graduate of and professor at The Ohio State University. In 1948, he introduced cobalt-60 as a substitute for radium in cancer treatment. In 1952, he and Benjamin H. Colmery introduced gold-198 as a replacement for radon-222 in permanent seed implantation for cancer. Myers was also instrumental in the development of radioisotopes for diagnostic and investigative medicine.

What's in the Bag?

Jack of All Trades: Doctor’s bags, used for house calls, were made of leather and typically contained thermometers, stethoscopes, sphygmomanometers, syringes, silk ligatures, catgut ligatures, surgical horsehair, pocket medicine cases and aspirin. This specific bag is from around 1940.

How to Learn More

Schedule a Tour: Contact the MHC to schedule a tour. Email us at mhcmail@osumc.edu, or call us at (614) 292-3275. We are located in Columbus, Ohio.

More to Come: Watch for more Curator's Top 25 artifact highlights throughout the rest of 2022!

In the meantime, the following is a link that discusses Myers more in-depth: https://library.osu.edu/site/mhcb/2012/09/04/william-g-myers-md-phd/

Medical Heritage Center Contact Information

The Ohio State University Health Sciences Library
5th Floor, Prior Hall
376 West 10th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
(614) 292-3275
go.osu.edu/mhc