Doctor

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A doctor may also be known as a Surgeon or (prior to 1873) an Assistant Surgeon.

Records

British Library

Recommended reading

Books that may be helpful:

External links

Historical background

Working conditions and duties

  • Pension situation in Bengal in 1827. Letter in Oriental Herald, Volume 14, 1827 Google Books
  • Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger by John McCosh M.D. published 1841 (This link gives details of the author's photographic work and Army career.He retired in 1856).
  • Rules for appointment in 1848 from The Oriental Interpreter and Treasury of East India Knowledge: A Companion to "The Hand-book of British India. by Joachim Hayward Stocqueler 1848, page 297 Google Books
For appointment procedures, refer to the Individuals section below and George Aldred

Other duties

Some surgeons were engaged in work which today would be regarded as scientific or senior administrative roles. Most of the botanists in the earlier years were surgeons, refer Individuals below. WCB Eatwell MD was ‘First Asst. and Opium Examiner. Board of Customs, Salt and Opium’. He was the author of “Report no.1: On the Poppy Cultivation, and the Benares Opium Agency” from Selections from the Records of the Government of Bengal 1851 Google Books

Individuals

Bengal

  • Gabriel Broughton was, perhaps, the most influential doctor in the history of British India. In the year 1636 the daughter of Mughal Emperor, Shah Jehan, was badly burnt following the upset of an oil lamp. The Emperor sent for the English ship's surgeon , Gabriel Broughton, who was able to assist her. In a later incident he treated another lady of the Emperor's harem. In reward for his services he asked that the East India company be given a charter to trade in Bengal.
  • William Hamilton Surgeon Wikipedia Died 1717. In gratitude for the success of the medical treatment given to him by Hamilton, the Mughal Emperor , Furrukhsiyar, made generous gifts to the English surgeon. He also allowed the East India company to purchase about 30 villages which enabled fortification of their position around Calcutta and greatly strengthened their trading presence in Bengal. Hamilton's profession, therefore, played a significant role in establishing the early influence of the East India Company.
  • William Griffith(botanist) Wikipedia “William Griffith 1810-1845” by WH Lang from Makers of British botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists 1913 Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by William Griffith 1847 Archive.org . The initial section contains biographical details.
  • The history of the Sikhs: containing the lives of the Gooroos; the history of the independent Sirdars, or Missuls, and the life of the great founder of the Sikh monarchy, Maharajah Runjeet Singh by William Lewis M’Gregor MD Surgeon 1st European Light Infantry 1846 Google Books Volume 1; Volume 2 contains details of the battles.
  • Obituary of Surgeon Major Allan Webb, died 15 September 1863 age 55 who entered the Bengal Medical Service in 1835. A second obituary. For many years from 1842, in addition to his other positions, he was surgeon to the Lower Orphan School, Calcutta probably until his retirement, or close to it.
  • Abstract of an article about Frederic John Mouat Bengal Surgeon, a leading figure in the field of education and prison reform, ca 1840-1870
  • Autobiography of an Indian Army Surgeon: Or, Leaves Turned Down from a Journal by Wilmington Walford M.D. published 1854 Google Books.
  • Obituary of Assistant-Surgeon W. J. Thomson, Civil Surgeon of Gurgaon (near Delhi),who died 1863.He had “an early death” and appears to have joined the Bengal Medical Service after 1858.
  • Dr. William Brooke O'Shaughnessy (1809-1889) -modern treatment for cholera, introduced cannabis to Western medicine, laid first telegraph system in Asia.
    Memoir of Surgeon-Major Sir W. O'Shaughnessy Brooke ... in connection with the early history of the telegraph in India by M Adams 1889 Archive.org

Madras

Botanists and Naturalists
  • Samuel Browne was listed as a Principal Surgeon in Madras 1688-1697 when he was discharged. Samuel Brown died 21 December 1698 at Madras, according to this cemetery record
After he had died the following articles were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (London)
  • "An Account of part of a Collection of Curious Plants and Drugs" gathered by Mr Samuel Brown , a Physician at Fort St George in the East Indies There is a subsequent title "Mr.Sam Brown His First Book Of East India Plants" Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 1700 vol. 22 no. 260-276 579-594 "Second Book" Phil. Trans. 1700 vol. 22 no. 260-276 699-721 'Third Book' page 859 (page 18 of the pdf) describes some animals sent by Mr Edward Bulkley, Surgeon from Fort St George Phil. Trans. 1700 vol. 22 no. 260-276 843-862 "Fourth Book" Phil. Trans. 1700 vol. 22 no. 260-276 843-862 "Fifth Book" Phil. Trans. 1700 vol. 22 no. 260-276 1007-1029 "Sixth Book" Phil. Trans. 1702 vol. 23 no. 277-288 1055-1068 "Seventh Book" Phil. Trans. 1702 vol. 23 no. 277-288 1251-1566 "Eighth Book" Phil. Trans. 1702 vol. 23 no. 277-288 1450-1460. However, there is no mention of Mr Sam.Brown for the final volume
  • Dr Edward Bulkley was a Principal Surgeon 1692-1709 when he transferred to the Civil Service as Member of Council. He resigned in 1713 and died August 1714 at Madras according to this cemetery record. He is mentioned in the "Third Book of Samuel Brown" (see above) and also in this link, from the Linnean Society of London collecting plants in Bengal and Burma 1702-8, (where the spelling Bulkeley is used).He is probably the Mr Buckly, Chief Surgeon at Fort St George who sent a collection of Chinese medical instruments to the Royal Society, mentioned in this article Phil. Trans. 1 January 1698 vol. 20 no. 236-247 390-392
  • Page 12 of this pdf link gives details of Francis Day who joined the Madras Medical Service in 1852. He wrote a 1863 book on Cochin Google Books. He became the most important writer on Indian fishes, his first book on fish being Fishes of Malabar 1865. Archive.org Wikipedia
Other
  • Diseases of India by Sir James Annesley, 3rd edition. Google books. Commences with details of his career as a Military Surgeon in the Madras Presidency from 1800 until he retired in 1838, after five years on the Medical Board.
  • George Edward Aldred was appointed an Assistant Surgeon in the Madras Medical Service on the 20th of April 1847.This link from The Asplin Military History Resources shows the appointment procedures. He was Court Martialled in July 1848 and dismissed, as this link from Allen’s Indian Mail 1848 shows, but subsequently reinstated.

Bombay

  • Andrew Jukes from Encyclopedia Iranica. Enter Jukes in the search box. Appointed Assistant Surgeon 1798
  • Narrative of the Campaign of the Indus in Sind and Kaubool in 1838-9 by Richard Hartley Kennedy M.D. Chief of the Medical Staff of the Bombay Division of the Army of the Indus. 1840 Volume 1 Volume 2
  • Obituary from the British Medical Journal of R Markham Carter 1875-1961. A large part of his career was in Bombay. He was renowned for the stand he took in respect of the appalling conditions suffered by casualties at Basra in Mesopotamia during the First World War.

Royal Army Medical Corps (British Army)

Other