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Ancestors in British India often followed the professions profession of '''Apothecary''' (title changed in 1894 to '''Assistant Surgeon''') and it is hoped that this article will help you to track yours down and learn more about how they lived and worked. ==Quick definition==In today’s terms, the position of an Apothecary in one of the East India Company Armies was some where between that of a senior nurse and a doctor. However, as apothecaries had surgical training, a junior doctor is probably the best description. The title changed in 1894. Assistant Surgeons in the Indian Army were recognised as fully qualified medical men and were registered as medical practitioners under the Medical Act. ==FIBIS resources==*"Tracing an Honorary Assistant Surgeon" by Lawrie Butler [[FIBIS Journals|''FIBIS Journal'']] Number 25 (Spring 2011) pages 22-24*"Gallantry Awards to the Indian Medical Department during the Great War of 1914 – 1918" by Allan Stanistreet ''FIBIS Journal'' Number 32 (Autumn 2014) pages 34-36. For details of how to access this article, see [[FIBIS Journals]].*"Assistant Apothecary Charles Maitland versus East India Company Justice" by Charles Maitland ''FIBIS Journal'' Number 33 (Spring 2015) pages 36-42. For details of how to access this article, see [[FIBIS Journals]].

The second problem concerns whether they are Military or Civilian and the answer to this is almost always the former, although they could be posted as Civil Surgeons to hospitals and even jails. This article is about those Apothecaries who worked for the Government as part of the Military establishment. However, there were some Apothecaries who worked in a private capacity, for example as a Chemist and Druggist. The [http://library.wellcome.ac.uk Wellcome Library], London has <ref> See the article "European Pharmacies in Colonial India" by Harkishan Singh , pages 58-67 in the ''Pharmceutical Pharmaceutical Historian'', Vol. 31, no. 4 (Dec. 2001)under External links above. </ref> Details about these Apothecaries may be sought in the Commercial sections of [[Directories ]] such as [http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~poyntz/India/directories.html Thackers].

A further frequently asked question is why an Assistant Surgeon ancestor does not appear in ''Crawford’s Roll of the Indian Medical Service 1614-1930''. Apothecaries as members of the [[Indian Subordinate Medical Department]], rather than the superior [[Indian Medical Service]], generally are not listed in Crawford, except for some reason, those in entries relating to the [[Madras Presidency]]in the very early years, probably prior to the establishment of the Subordinate Medical Department. It should be noted that IMS used the title Assistant Surgeon for its lower ranks until 1873 and that the ISMD used the same title after 1894. Therefore if your Assistant Surgeon appears with that title before 1873, he should be in the IMS and will not be an Apothecary.

Medical personnel appointed to the IMS will almost always have been educated in the UK, even if they were born in India. They always held higher medical ranking. [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21858/pages/976 This A London Gazette article] announcement sets out the requirements for Assistant-Surgeons in the service of the [[East India Company ]] in March 1856.<ref> [http://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/21858/page/976 ''The London Gazette'' 7 March 1856] Issue: 21858 Page: 976</ref>

The [[India Office Records|India Office]] Family History Search, in its Dictionary , gives the following description of Apothecary:

The word 'Service' is not quite accurate in the definition above and should be replaced by 'Department'. Surgeons trained in Great Britain, held covenanted positions in the Medical Departments of the Presidencies and later in the Indian Medical Service and were of officer rank in the Army. The European establishment of the Subordinate Medical Departments of the [[presidencies]] (with abbreviations such as Sub Medical Dept, Sub-Med Dept, S-Med Dept, SMD.) and of the later Indian Subordinate Medical Department (ISMD) consisted of the uncovenanted positions of Apothecaries and [[Steward (Medical)|Stewards]], Assistant Apothecaries and Assistant Stewards, together with those in training for these roles called [[Hospital or Medical Apprentice]]s. The first four positions were of [[Warrant Officer]] rank (see ,<ref>See [http://books.google.com/books?id=LBq1AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA255 ''Madras Quarterly Journal of Medical Science'' 1863 v. 7](Google Books), </ref> but this rank did not apply to Hospital or Medical Apprentices. The members of the SMD were almost always locally born and recruited, although there were the odd exceptions. The link just quoted is One Assistant Surgeon was born in Ireland, the son of a Google Books linksoldier in the British Army, and came to India as are most of the links which followa child when his father's regiment was deployed there.

In [[Bengal (Presidency)|Bengal]], a formal scheme to train apothecaries commenced following a [[General Order of the Governor General in Council, June 15th 1812|General Order dated June 15, 1812]] by the [[Governor General (reported in the ''Calcutta Gazette'' dated Thursday, July 2, 1812 (Vol LVII, No 1479) ]] which “approved a Plan submitted to him by the Medical Board, for the instruction of Boys from the Upper and Lower Orphan Schools and Free School, to serve as Compounders and [[Dresser|Dressers]], and ultimately as Apothecaries and Sub Assistant Surgeons in the Medical Department of this Presidency...The Medical Board shall select 24 Boys of 14 or 15 years of age, from the above Institutions, in the choice of whom the Governors of these schools are enjoined to afford every possible assistance.” <ref>The order as copied here was reported in the ''Calcutta Gazette'' dated Thursday, July 2, 1812 (Vol LVII, No 1479)</ref>

The Upper Orphan School was the Military Orphan School for Officers’ Children and the Lower Orphan School was the Military Orphan School for the children of Warrant Officers and [[soldier]]s. Not all the children were [[orphans]]. The Free School was for children of non military fathers.   The background of the boys from the Lower Orphan School was approximately 25% European and 75% Eurasian (or East Indian or from 1911 [[Anglo Indian]]), with a European soldier father and Indian or Eurasian mother. The percentage of Eurasians in the Upper Orphan School was higher, as orphans with European parents were returned to England, provided they had family there who could care for them.

This Regulations in place in Madras in 1833 are detailed in this [http://bookswww.googlearchive.comorg/books?id=2vsEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA265 Google Books stream/codeofregulation00madr#page/96/mode/2up link], (published 1838), is about the Madras Medical School, established 1835. Private Students, or persons not in the Public Service, were admitted from August 1838 as the next <ref>[http://bookswww.googlearchive.com.auorg/stream/codeofregulation00madr#page/96/mode/books?id=OG8FAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA49 link2up "Regulations relative to Subordinate Medical Servants"], (published 1842) showspage 97, ''Code of regulations for the Medical Department of the Presidency of Fort St. George'' 1833 Archive. org</ref>

The ''Madras journal of literature and science'' detailed the Madras Medical College training for Hospital Apprentices was introduced School (established 1835) in 1847 an [http://books.google.com/books?id=2vsEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA265 1838 article]. Private Students, or persons not in Bengal following the system that had previously been successfully introduced in Public Service, were admitted from August 1838.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OG8FAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA49 ''Report on the medical topography and statistics of the Presidency Division of the Madras.army''], Thorpe, 1842</ref>

Medical College training for Hospital Apprentices was introduced in 1847 in Bengal following the system that had previously been successfully introduced in Madras. "General Order 200 " dated 15 June 1847 is about Apprenticeships in the Bengal Subordinate Medical Department. It sets out that candidates would sit an examination to become an apprentice. Those successful would serve for two years as an apprentice in the Hospital of a European Regiment or General Hospital. They then may be selected by the Medical Board for a studentship in the Medical College. They would then attend a two year course of study comprising Anatomy, Dissection, Materia Medica, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, the practice of Medicine and Surgery and more especially clinical instruction in connection with the last two branches. At the end of the two years they were to undergo an examination. If successful they were to be drafted to European Regiments or to the General Hospital, there to wait their turn for promotion as Assistant Apothecaries or Assistant Stewards. Promotion to Apothecary was also to be by examination.<ref>This Order is in a book called ''General Report on Public Instruction in the Lower Provinces of the Bengal Presidency for 1847-1848'', Appendix E, no. XI, page clxvi. [http://books.google.com/books?id=H8wCAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PR166 Full Order], [http://books.google.com/books?id=c4gIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA69 Further background information].</ref>

This Order is in a book called ''General Report on Public Instruction in the Lower Provinces of the Bengal Presidency for 1847-1848'', Appendix E, no. XI, page clxvi. *[http://books.google.com/books?id=H8wCAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PR166 Read the complete Order].*[http://books.google.com/books?id=c4gIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA69 Further background information] (page 69)  However, when the [[Indian Mutiny|Mutiny]] occurred (1857), the classes at the Medical College for Hospital Apprentices were broken up. Due to the shortage of medical personnel, and the demand for them in the regiments, this situation continued for over ten years [in Bengal]. A decision was made in July 1868 to recommence classes for the Hospital Apprentices at the Medical Schools. <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=oLkTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA158 Full article, page 158 ''Indian Medical Gazette''] page 158, July 1868]</ref>

The Bombay Medical Board issued new Rules for training Medical Apprentices dated 2nd April 1851. They were similar to Bengal, but with required three years of Medical College prior to becoming an Assistant Apothecary with progression to Steward, then Apothecary.<ref>Pages 235 to 246 [http://books.google.com/books?id=38AIAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA2-PA235 ''Report of the Board of Education, Bombay'' ] January 1,1850 to April 30, 1851 (Published 1851), pp235-246. [http:<//books.google.com/books?id=38AIAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA2-PA235 Full article] ref>

It is interesting to note that from 1869 until the founding of the King Edward VII College of Medicine in [[Singapore]], apprentice Apothecaries were also recruited from schools in that region and trained in the Madras Medical College. <ref>Full details are given in [http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/34VolNo6200506/V34N6p4C.pdf "The Founding of the Medical School in Singapore in 1905"] by YK Lee. There is further mention in [http://www.sma.org.sg/smj/4705/4705cen1.pdf. “The early history of pharmacy in Singapore”] by YK Lee ''Singapore Medical Journal'' 2006 May;47(5):436-43.</ref>

Formal training for the Subordinate Medical Department, Hyderabad commenced when the Bolarum Medical School was established in 1839 to “qualify India-born lads for all the subordinate medical grades and duties of the [Nizam’s] Army”. On graduation, they were qualified to be 2nd Dressers. Refer <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=vwQHAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA346 “An Account of the Medical School at Bolarum”] from ''The Madras Quarterly Medical Journal Volume 1 1839''. </ref> In 1846 the Bolarum Medical School was closed, as it was no longer needed, and the Hyderabad Medical School at Chuddergha(u)t, (now the Osmania Medical College) was then established, refer this .<ref>[http://www.omcalumni.org link"How it all began"], Osmania Medical College Alumni Association website. </ref> In 1868, according to correspondence in the ''Times of India'' dated 11 March 1868 and 18 March 1868, reported that “the assistant apothecaries of the Hyderabad Contingent have all been promoted to apothecaries”... “the designation they now bear ( assistant apothecary) was allowed them by Government not many years ago”. <ref>Correspondence in the ''Times of India'' dated 11 March 1868 and 18 March 1868</ref> The correspondence refers to the training in the Bolarum Medical School. It is unclear whether all the apothecaries referred to were trained in the period 1839-1846. It seems more likely the Hyderabad Medical School continued this training.

Published in In 1841, page 5 of ''Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger'' by John McCosh stated, in respect of the situation in Bengal,:<blockquote>“They enter the service as hospital-apprentices, on the pay of 33 rupees a month; after ten years service they are promoted either to assistant-apothecaries or assistant-stewards, on an allowance of 70 rupees; and, after about nine years in that grade, they are promoted to apothecaries with the pay of 140 rupees a month, or stewards with the pay of 120 rupees. To every European regiment, whether Royal or Company's, there is an apothecary and a steward attached, with each his assistant.” <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=4y5WftsInfgC&pg=PA5 Full article''Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger''] by John McCosh (1841) p5</ref></blockquote> In earlier years the assistant apothecaries were promoted much more quickly. William Hannah was promoted from Assistant Apothecary to Apothecary in December 1824 (''The Oriental Herald and Colonial Review'' Volume V, April to June 1825, <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=DB0YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA530 ''The Oriental Herald and Colonial Review''] Volume V, April to June 1825, page 530]) </ref> when he was about 22 years old, and there is an 1818 reference to Apprentice Henry Anderson who was appointed directly from Apprentice to Apothecary (''Asiatic Journal'' Vol VI .<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=OPbiZPTdVUAC&pg=PA507 ''Asiatic Journal''] Vol VI, June-December 1818]). </ref>

However, it seems the situation did change and that promotion became much slower. When William Hannah became an apothecary in December 1824, ten were appointed assistant apothecaries. Of these, three became apothecaries in January 1834, almost exactly nine years later. (One <ref>Of the others, one became a steward in September 1826, one was on the invalid pension from December 1833. The others were probably dead. Dates are from the [http://books.google.com/books?id=O94NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA245 1838 Bengal Directory].) </ref> So it does seem that if an apothecary was appointed from 1834 onwards he would probably be aged in his thirties at date of appointment which may help to indicate a date of birth (if not otherwise known). ===Extra Assistant Apothecary===A few cases have been heard of where appointments have been made to the rank of Extra Assistant Apothecary, in the Bengal SMD. These appear to have been made following the [[Indian Mutiny]] when demands for trained personnel would have been great.  In one case the Extra Assistant Apothecary, David Harris was working prior to the appointment in civil employment in Howrah (1855) and Calcutta (1856) as an apothecary, perhaps as a chemist and druggist. His training and birth details are unknown. He appears in C-i-C General Orders 22 Nov 1857, "directing Extra Assistant Apothecary Harris, recently entertained, to proceed by rail to Raneegunge and do duty in the hospital there" . Other orders are dated: *20 January 1858 - Extra Assistant Apothecary D Harris and Extra Assistant Steward J Fegredo, during duty in the depot hospital at Raneegunge to join a detachment of HM 54th Foot proceeding to Sasseram.*26 March 1858 - when another was directed to relieve him as Sasseram and he was sent to Benares depot hospital.*7 April 1858 - to do duty at the Rajghaut Hospital (outskirts of Benares).This was the last record of David Harris and it is assumed he died soon after. In another case, the Extra Assistant Apothecary was born and trained in Britain. Thomas Baron appears in the list of Extra Assistant Apothecaries in the 1861 edition of the New Calcutta Directory, the only known list, as appointed 29 April 1858. Born in Manchester in January 1837, the son of a Chemist and Druggist, he appears in the England 1851 census as a scholar aged 14. In 1858 he would have been 21. Family word of mouth says he went to India as some sort of a Medical Officer. Possibly he had been apprenticed to his father. Interestingly, he subsequently appears in the lists of Hospital Apprentices with appointment date 10 October 1861, indicating that at least in his case, his appointment in 1858 had not been permanent. (He then appears to have sat all the required examinations before receiving an appointment as an Assistant Apothecary). The ''London Lancet'' refered to the grievances of the Hospital Apprentices “to see a number of strangers admitted into the service with the rank of assistant apothecary, who never served as apprentice in it, in preference to the apprentices, of whom it is said that upwards of forty passed members await promotion. Undoubtedly, in periods of emergency, rules may be transgressed when necessary to secure the efficiency of the service, and it may be desirable, at a particular moment, to secure the aid of skilled civilians to whom adequate rank and pay must at once be offered ...”<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=oA8CAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA354 ''London Lancet, Volume 2 1859''], (Google Books) page 354</ref> There were similar appointments to the rank of Extra Assistant Steward, who also appear in the 1861 ''New Calcutta Directory'' list. See also the individual [[Apothecaries]] page.

The following 1855 description of the duties of apothecaries and stewards, and training, is in an article called "The Medical Services of the British Army" in ''The British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review'':<ref> [http://books.google.com/books?id=akkBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA444 "The Medical Services of the British Army"], ''The British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review or Quarterly Journal of Practical Medicine and Surgery'', Vol XV, January-April 1855. The article starts on page 411, but the relevant pages are 444-447.</ref>

:The stewards and their assistants are charged with all the details relating to the food, clothing, and similar interior economy of military hospitals. Both classes aid the surgeon in the preparation of official reports and statements."  '''Change of Duties'''<br> There is a British Library catalogue entry '''IOR/F/4/661/18358 Mar 1821''' in respect of Bengal: Appointment of J.T. Hodgson as [[Veterinary Surgeon]] to the Governor General's Body Guard - he is to select and train eight Assistant Apothecaries as Veterinary Surgeons for the Light Cavalry Regiments.<br>''The New Annual Bengal Directory and Calcutta Kalendar'', available to read online on the [[Online books#Digital Library of India| Digital Library of India]] website, for the year 1823 has a listing on page 76 of the Army List, computer page 221, of "Assistant Apothecaries, Veterinary Students" at Ballygunge, Calcutta . For the year 1824 three of these students are shown as Sub -Assistant Veterinary Surgeons.<br>An advice from Fort William dated April 12, 1827 advised that following the decision to appoint regularly educated Veterinary Surgeons, Sub -assistant Veterinary Surgeons were to be given the choice of taking their discharge, or of entering the subordinate branch of the medical staff.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=akkBAAAAYAAJPYcEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA444 Full articlePR111 ''Naval and Military Magazine Volume 3''], 1828, page cxi of "Naval and Military Miscellany"</ref> ===Uniforms===*This [http://books.google.com/books?id=d22WUEmG49IC&pg=PA46-IA5 link]<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=d22WUEmG49IC&pg=PA46-IA5 ''Poor relations: the making of a Eurasian community in British India, 1773-1833''], page 46, image 5, by Christopher Hawes 1996 Google Books</ref> shows a drawing of an Apothecary, First Class, c 1840

'''Change of Duties'''<br> There is a British Library catalogue entry '''IOR* [http:/F/4books.google.co.uk/661/18358 Mar 1821''' which appears to be in respect of books?id=6iQoAAAAYAAJ&q=%22plain+silver+lace+embroidered+button+hole%22#v=%22plain%20silver%20lace%20embroidered%20button%20hole%22&f=false Description from Bengal: Appointment of J.T. Hodgson as Veterinary Surgeon to the Governor General's Body Guard - he is to select and train eight Assistant Apothecaries as Veterinary Surgeons for the Light Cavalry Regiments.Agra Gazetteer 1841]

*The [http://library.wellcome.ac.uk Wellcome Library], London has See the article "Apothecaries and Hospital Assistants in Colonial India" by Harkishan Singh in the ''Pharmaceutical Historian'' Vol. 32, no. 1 (Mar. 2002)under [[Apothecary#External links|External links]] below.

===Individuals=The Situation by the 1870s== *'''Arthur Fitzgibbon'''General Order 550 of 1868 introduced some changes to the organisation of the Subordinate Medical Department and a revised and enhanced scale of pay and pensions. This appears to have been re-released in March 1869, no 1798 20 March 1868 ( should be 1869?) to state it also applied to Apothecaries and Assistant Apothecaries employed in the Civil Department. The main change was that the grade of Hospital Steward in the Bengal and Bombay Presidencies was abolished and replaced by the system in place in the Madras Presidency, where the purveying duties were undertaken by the Commissariat Department through Hospital Purveyors. The grade of second Apothecary at Madras was also abolished, the members being merged in that of Apothecary. Refer to the “Notes” below for full details.<ref> [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=w1IBAAAAQAAJjRUTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA35 ''The Victoria Cross; an official chronicle of the deeds of personal valour achieved in presence of the enemy during the Crimean and Baltic campaigns, the Indian mutinies, and the PersiaRA3-PA36 "Supreme Government Orders 1869"], China, and New Zealand wars'' (1865)] and also page 154, "Awarded Victorian Cross 36 from August 13, 1861. Indian Medical Establishment—Hospital Apprentice Arthur Fitzgibbon." ''Medals of the British army, and how they were wonThe Punjab Record or Reference Book for Civil Officers Volume 4 1869'' By Thomas Carter Published by Groombridge, 1861, states::"The youngest VC recipient is generally regarded as Hospital Apprentice Arthur Fitzgibbon (15 years and 3 months), Indian Medical Establishment." The following information, collected from various sources, some Google Books</ref> Some of which give conflicting personal details, include his citation in The London Gazette (issue 22538 dated 13 Aug 1861, published 13 Aug 1861) for the action revised scales are set out in the 2nd China War of 1860. He was in the Bengal SMDfollowing books by William Cornish.

The book is ''A Code of Medical and Sanitary Regulations for the Guidance of Medical Officers serving in the Madras Presidency'' (2 Volumes) by William Robert Cornish (1870). The above references are in [http://books.google.com/books?id=WhUDAAAAQAAJ &pg=PP5 Volume 1], which contains the above references and [http://books.google.com/books?id=NhcDAAAAQAAJ Volume 2]. Both these books are snippet view only. Some readers may be able to access them using a proxy server. (An author was originally able to access these books, but now cannot.)Google Books

An example of an Assistant Surgeon with a distinguished military career is Major Hector Alfred Richardson (1875 – 1957).. Born in [[Ellichpur]], he worked at the J.J. Hospital in [[Bombay (City)|Bombay]] in the 1890s for a couple of years, presumably having trained in the adjacent Grant Medical College, and then joined the Indian Medical Department, Army Service, and was shipped out to the Boer War in South Africa, Ladysmith Relief in the 1898/99. Returning to India, his subsequent postings included: 1904 [[Meerut]]; 1906 [[Deolali]]; 1908 [[Calcutta]]; 1911 [[Agra]] Cantt.; 1912 [[Bhusaval]]; 1914-1919 [[Lahore]]; 1923 [[Jhansi]]; 1929 Meerut & [[Ajmer]]; 1931 - 1938 Jhansi; 1941 - 1942 [[Mhow]]; 1946 Jhansi.

*[http://books.google.com/books?id=oLkTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA272 "Civil Surgeons in India] ''The Indian Medical Gazette'' 1868 Volume 3, page 272] 1868. Google Books *[http://books.google.com/books?id=Yz-zE8waQukC&pg=PA168 ''History of Medicine in India, page 168'' ] by Chittabrata Palit2005. Preview Google Books*[https://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10973/21456/GIPE-015938.pdf "Growth of the Civil Side of the Indian Medical Service -Since 1885"]. Report written 1 October 1912 by C. P. Lukis, page 168 Surgeon General, Director- General, Indian Medical Service. Pages 17-20 of the pdf are in respect of the ISMD. Dspace website of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Limited viewGIPE)], Pune

[[''Thacker's]] Bengal Directory'', published from 1864, was in 1885 renamed ''Thacker's Indian Directory '' and covered the whole of British India. Volumes for most years are available in the [[Asia, Pacific & Africa Collection|Asian and African Studies Reading Room]] at the [[British Library]] and the 1895 edition is available to purchase as a CD. It is a useful source for tracing Assistant Surgeons of both Military and Civil persuasions. For online editions see '''[[Directories online]]''', under the headings [[Directories online#Bengal Directory|Bengal Directory]], and [[Directories online#Thacker's Indian Directory|Thacker's Indian Directory]].

Another invaluable source is the Indian Army Lists, like Thacker’s, available at the British Library. This B.L. webpage [https://web.archive.org/web/20151028004710/http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/indiaofficerecordsfamilyhistory/occupations/indianmedicalservice/indianmedical.html Indian Medical Service] , now archived, advises that members of the Subordinate Medical Department are recorded in the published army lists, L/MIL/17/2-4, Bengal from 1819, Madras from 1829, Bombay from 1832. (The catalogue entries are: [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlmil_8-2_2&cid=1-1-1#1-1-1 Bengal Army IOR/L/MIL/17/2 ] 1791-1903 [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlmil_8-2_2&cid=1-1-2#1-1-2 Madras Army IOR/L/MIL/17/3] 1787-1904 [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlmil_8-2_2&cid=1-1-3#1-1-3 Bombay Army IOR/L/MIL/17/4] 1794-1913). From 1889 to 1947, all members of the Subordinate Medical Department with the rank of warrant officer or above are recorded in the published Indian Army List in the Reading Room (Ref:OIR355.33). However, according to this an India List post,<ref name=BPA>Bailey, Peter. [httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20210406055707/https://archivermlarchives.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIAlistindexes/emails?listname=india&thread=1662618 Army Lists-Question] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 20 January 2010-01, archived. </1263998480 post] ref> the L/MIL/17 Army Lists in the early years may '''not ''' routinely include lists of Apothecaries. Quoting from Baxter’s Guide (Biographical Sources in the India Office Records), the post also advises that "Dates of Birth of Apothecaries are given in the lists from Oct. 1884".

Names may be searched from the '''Many Indian Army and Civil Service List 1873 in Find My Past’s Lists are now available online - See [http://www.findmypast.com/migration.jsp Migration] category. It is not stated whether original data is available or whether this is a transcription. A transcript of the [http://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=5758 January 1912Indian Army List online] edition is available online via Ancestry.com The LDS(Mormon) Library catalogue has the following [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=578082 entry] for India Office Army Lists 1886-1940 available on fiche. Note that it is not known whether the LDS Lists are exactly the same as the Lists at the British Library Reading Room.'''

Once the whereabouts of your ancestor in a given year has been established, a useful next step is the IOR /V/12 Service Historiesat the British Library, ([http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.The necessary volumes can be found using [[The National Archives|Access to Archivesdo?vid=IAMS_VU2 Search the catalogue]]. Look at or [http://wwwdiscovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2abrowse/r/records.aspx?cat=059h/56e0e03f-6565-iorv_5&cid=142aa-1#1ba09-1 b9bb7b324eaf TNA Discovery catalogue entry for IOR/V/12] ), and to chose one or more relevant volumes. There are an alarming 434 volumes of Service Histories, and as well as whole sequences of volumes for the 3 Presidencies, there are more sequences for India, Assam, Bihar & Orissa, United Provinces, Punjab, North West Frontier, Central Provinces, Burma and Hyderabad! The earliest date from 1879 and the latest 1948, though dates for particular regions vary. The later you can get in your Assistant Surgeon’s career the better, as the information appears to be cumulative. The documents themselves are held at the British Library. '''Note: It is possible, but not confirmed, that some of these volumes are the same as similarly titled volumes available online. See [[Directories online#India List and India Office List| Directories online - India List and India Office List]]'''.

Thelma Cramb (nee Ferguson) has advised “As "As the daughter of an Assistant Surgeon I know how often they were transferred from one station to another - I was born in [[Dagshai]] (Simla Hills) in 1928 - my sister b. 1926 in [[Kasauli]] - another in 1924 in [[Bareilly]] - and another in 1922 in Chowbutia ([[Naini Tal]] I think !!) Happy days spent in [[Poona]] with other I.M.D. families.”"<br>In the first part of this [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1950s/1219-locksley01.html article]<ref>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/1950s/1219-locksley01.html A Veteran Recollects: Memoirs of an IAF Technical Signal Officer] by Wg Cdr Locksley Percival Fegredo. bharat-rakshak.com</ref>, the author, born 1926, the son of an Assistant Surgeon, recalls his childhood.

Reports on Jails, Hospitals, Public Health Departments and much more can be found in the '''IOR/V/24''' series. As with the Service Histories they are searchable via [[The National Archives|Access to National ArchivesDiscovery]] site and available to view at the British Library.

The Indian Medical Department effectively ended as a separate entity on April 3rd 1943 when it was amalgamated with the Indian Medical Service and the Indian Hospital and Nursing Corps, to form the Indian Army Medical Corps. In this form, it still exists today.

Currently The known online Lists (May 2009December 2013) there are only six known lists online: *Bengal**[http://books.google.com/books?id=O94NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA245 1838 ''Bengal Directory''], page 245 **[http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044088755111?urlappend=%3Bseq=440 1849 ''Scott and Co.'s Bengal Directory and Register ''], page 396 **[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=DPY2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA222 1859 ''The Quarterly Army List of Her Majesty's British and Indian Forces on the Bengal Establishment corrected to 5 July 1859''], page 222 **The Fibiwiki page [[Directories online]] has a number of Lists of Apothecaries which may be viewed online in publications originally from the Digital Library of India and now available as mirror versions on The Internet Archive (Archive.org). Those noted include:::''Bengal Directory and Annual Register'' and ''Bengal and Agra Directory and Annual Register'' for most of the years 1823-1851 and 1855. ''The Quarterly Bengal Army List Corrected to 30 June 1878'' has a List. Other volumes may also include Lists.*Madras: ''Madras Quarterly Journal Of Medical Science'' (search within these volumes for ”warrant officers” or more generally for “medical warrant officers”):**[http://books.google.com/books?id=ahe1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PR17 Madras at 1 October 1860] (Page 17 of appendix at end of book)**[http://books.google.com/books?id=0he1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PR17 Madras at 1 April 1861] (Page 17 of appendix)**[http://books.google.com/books?id=ahi1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PR17 Madras at 1 October 1861] (Page 17 of appendix)**[http://books.google.com/books?id=Dhm1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PR16 Madras at 1 April 1862] (page 16 of appendix)**[http://books.google.com/books?id=2xm1AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1PR20-PR19 IA9 Madras at 1 April 1863] (Page 19 of appendix)*Bombay**[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Jt0X3wfBbZgC&pg=PA60 1842 ''The Bombay Calendar and Almanac'' ] , page 60 Google Books**The page [[Directories online]] has a number of Lists of Apothecaries originally from the Digital Library of India, and now available as mirror versions on the Internet Archive (Archive.org) Those noted include::''The Bombay Commercial Calender And General Directory'', ''The Bombay Almanack and Book of Direction'' and ''The Bombay Almanack and Directory'' for the years 1845,1860-1861, 1863. Other volumes may also include Lists.*Officers of the Indian Subordinate Medical Department from the British Army Lists, from [[Military periodicals online#New Army List|Military periodicals online-New Army List]]{|cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1"||||[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21914grea#page/324/mode/2up October-December 1913], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21914grea#page/884/mode/2up/ Retired]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistapr1914grea#page/1178/mode/2up January-March 1914], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistapr1914grea#page/1740/mode/2up/ Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjul1914grea#page/1178/mode/2up/ April-June 1914], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjul1914grea#page/1746/mode/2up/ Retired]||[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21915grea#page/332/mode/2up October-December 1914], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21915grea#page/910/mode/2up Retired]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistapr1915grea#page/1370/mode/2up January-March 1915], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistapr1915grea#page/1948/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjul1915grea#page/1460/mode/2up April-June 1915], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjul1915grea#page/2056/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol21915grea#page/864/mode/2up July-September 1915], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31915grea#page/522/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21916grea#page/476/mode/2up October-December 1915], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21916grea#page/1100/mode/2up Retired]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31916grea#page/2/mode/2up January-March 1916], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31916grea#page/650/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol21916grea#page/974/mode/2up April-June 1916], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31916grea#page/594/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31916grea#page/54/mode/2up July-September 1916], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31916grea#page/740/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol21917grea#page/988/mode/2up October-December 1916], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol31917grea#page/668/mode/2up Retired]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31917grea#page/16/mode/2up January-March 1917], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31917grea#page/728/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol21917grea#page/n1207/mode/2up April- June 1917], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31917grea#page/720/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31917grea#page/56/mode/2up July-September 1917], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctvol31917grea#page/818/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanpart121919grea#page/826/mode/2up October-December 1917], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanpart121919grea#page/1616/mode/2up Retired]|-|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31918grea#page/100/mode/2up January-March 1918], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistaprvol31918grea#page/936/mode/2up/ Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31918grea#page/104/mode/2up/ April-June 1918], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulvol31918grea#page/994/mode/2up/ Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctpart121918grea#page/1090/mode/2up July-September 1918], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctpart121918grea#page/1944/mode/2up Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol31919grea#page/974/mode/2up October-December 1918], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanvol41919grea#page/885/mode/2up/ Retired]|-||[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulpart121919grea#page/1920/mode/2up/ April-June 1919], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjulpart131919grea#page/2555/mode/2up/ Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctpart121919grea#page/1942/mode/2up July-September 1919], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistoctpart131919grea#page/852/mode/2up/ Retired]|[http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanpart131920grea#page/166/mode/2up/ October-December 1919], [http://archive.org/stream/armylistjanpart131920grea#page/976/mode/2up/ Retired]|-|} 

*''New Calcutta Directory 1857-1862'', but excluding 1860. Hospital Apprentices and , “Extra Assistant Apothecaries” and "Extra Assistant Stewards" are included in 1861.

Ian Poyntz's [http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~poyntz/India/directories.html website] has information on the holdings of Directories in many libraries around the world, including the British Library. If you have access to any of these volumes you may find additional lists of Apothecaries, or entries in the alphabetical list of residents, entries under the Mofussil Listing, or entries in the births, marriages or deaths sections. Quoting from Baxter’s Guide, this an India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2010-01/1263998480 post] advises that "Lists of Apothecaries appear in Directories: Bengal, from 1815; Madras from 1862; Bombay, from 1832."<ref name=BPA/>You can also try searching in [[Directories online|Directories]] and [[Newspapers and journals online| Journals]] available online for additional lists of apothecaries which may be available in the future, and also for birth, marriage and death entries, and entries relating to postings and promotion.  The British Library’s [http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?dscnt=1&fromLogin=true&dstmp=1338597841596&vid=IAMS_VU2&fromLogin=true Search our Catalogue Archives and Manuscripts] may yield results, eg the following reference was found "Hannah, W., apothecary, application of widow for increased pension complied with. 1856-1857" (See [[British Library]] for details of how to obtain a copy of this type of record).

You can also try searching in In addition [[Directories reading list|Directorieshttps://www.thegazette.co.uk/ The London Gazette]] available online is a good source of information for promotions. This source is more relevant for additional lists of apothecaries which may be available in the future, and also for birth, marriage and death entries, and entries relating to postings and promotionlater periods.

In addition Crawford’s ''Roll of the Indian Medical Service 1614-1930'' lists a few entries relating to the [[Madras Presidency]] in the very early years, probably prior to the establishment of the Subordinate Medical Department but none from the other Presidencies. Index records and page images are available on Ancestry (pay website), in the database [httphttps://wwwsearch.ancestry.com/search/db.londonaspx?dbid=61103 UK, Roll of the Indian Medical Service, 1615 -gazette1930].coAlso available as a digitised microfilm on [[FamilySearch]], [https://www.ukfamilysearch.org/ The London Gazettesearch/catalog/287926 catalogue entry] is , viewable at a good source of information family history centre or FamilySearch affiliate library - for promotionsdetails see [[FamilySearch Centres]].

Madras General Orders by the Commander-in -Chief IOR/L/MIL/17/23/412-456 1818-1895 . (Note, currently 2019/03/07 is incorrectly catalogued as IOR/L/MIL/17/2/412-456) There are annual indexes from 1845.Possibly also IOR/L/MIL/17/3/481-489 1896-1904 Madras Command Orders 1896-1904

There are annual indexes from 1868. Possibly also IOR/L/MIL/17/4/502-511 Bombay Command and Western Command Orders 1895-1904.

This An India List post<ref>Murphy, Sylvia [httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20210212221512/https://archivermlarchives.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIAlistindexes/emails?listname=india&thread=1662099 Apothecaries on Bombay Muster Rolls] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 20 February 2010-02, archived.</1266657514 post] ref> advises that two Apothecaries and a Hospital Steward were found on a list of pensioners in the Bombay Muster records for 1857. ==External links==*"European Pharmacies in Colonial India" by Harkishan Singh, pages 58-67 in [https://leopard.tu-braunschweig.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/dbbs_derivate_00044324/Pharmaceutical-Historian-2001.pdf ''Pharmaceutical Historian'', Vol. 31, no. 4 (Dec. 2001)]. leopard.tu-braunschweig.de.*[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27586218 "Early decades of Madras Medical College: Apothecaries"] by R Raman and A Raman ''Natl Med J India''. 2016 Mar-Apr;29(2):98-102. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov*[http://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2017/11/the-last-will-and-testament-of-an-indian-wife.html "The last will and testament of an Indian wife"] 02 November 2017. British Library Untold lives blog. Includes mention of William Foy baptized 1805 who became a sub-assistant veterinary surgeon and later an apothecary at the General Hospital in Calcutta. William retired from the Subordinate Medical Service in 1857 and set up as a ‘Practising Physician’ in Calcutta.===Historical books online===*[https://archive.org/details/b22394023/mode/2up ''A code of medical regulations, for the Honorable East India Company's establishment of surgeons, belonging to the Presidency of Prince of Wales' Island, Singapore, and Malacca''] by W E E Conwell, Surgeon on the Madras Establishment 1828 Archive.org. Includes references to Apothecaries.*[https://archive.org/stream/IndianMedicalServiceReport1912/Indian%20Medical%20Service%20report%201912#page/n13/mode/2up "Military Assistant Surgeons, ISMD"] from a report catalogued as ''Indian Medical Service Report 1912'' Archive.org ==Notes==<references />