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:“In India they are recognised as fully qualified medical men and are registered as medical practitioners under the Medical Act. Like the IMD, RE and other Departments of the Indian Army, the IMD is recruited “over strength”, the surplus officers being used by various Provincial Governments in civil capacities and are recognised, as are the IMS Civil Surgeons, as the war reserve of the Army, and the army has first call on their services.”
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.
Thus we can see that ISMD employees, could, with application, rise to the rank of Major, but in many cases there was growing dissatisfaction with pay and status. See the following entries on Civil Surgeons, who, it seems, led demanding and frustrating lives although the pay was better than in the Military and the range of professional duties greater.
====Indian Army Lists====
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://archiverlists.rootsweb.ancestrycom/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/ththread/read/INDIA1662618/Army Lists-Question] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 20 January 2010-01. Retrieved 7 March 2019. </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".
'''Many Indian Army Lists are now available online - See [[Indian Army List online]]'''
*''Thacker’s Bengal Directory'' 1864-1868. These volumes include Hospital Apprentices.
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, an India List post advises that "Lists of Apothecaries appear in Directories: Bengal, from 1815; Madras from 1862; Bombay, from 1832." <ref>Bailey, Peter. [https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/india@rootsweb.com/thread/1662618/ Army Lists-Question] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 20 January 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2019.<name=BPA/ref>
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.
In addition [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/ The London Gazette] is a good source of information for promotions. This source is more relevant for the later periods.
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 [https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61103 UK, Roll of the Indian Medical Service, 1615 -1930]. Also available as a digitised microfilm on [[FamilySearch]], [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/287926 catalogue entry], viewable at a family history centre or FamilySearch affiliate library- for details see [[FamilySearch Centres]].
There are mentions of students (Hospital Apprentices) in the Annual Report of the Madras Medical College. The [[British Library]] has reports from 1853 to 1887, missing 1854/1855. However, the 1854/55 report is in Appendix L of the report on Public Instruction in the Madras Presidency for 1854/55. Oxford University Bodleian Library also has a broken range of volumes to 1887. The following years are available online (mainly Google Books):
