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'':"The title given to the various grades of warrant officer in the Indian Military Subordinate Medical Service. The rank of Apothecary was abolished in the Subordinate Medical Service in 1894 and replaced by that of Assistant Surgeon. Apothecaries in the Indian Army undertook general medical duties - by the early 19th century the word was used in the more general sense of medical practitioner as well as in its original meaning of pharmacist.''"
*****
*Apothecary Daly (1821) and Assistant Apothecary Everard (1824) charged with being drunk while treating patients, from a book about Law in India, published 1825,page 597 [http://books.google.com/books?id=FukGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA597 Law in India, published 1825, page 597]
*****==The Situation by the 1870s==
*****==The Later Period==
***** ==Assistant Surgeons and Superintendents of Jails ==
*****==The Question of Status==
***** ==Listings of Apothecaries==
saving current progress
==Overview==
====Definition====
There are two apparent contradictions that researchers will face straight away. According to usual definitions, apothecary is an old fashioned word for a pharmacist, while surgeons perform surgery. In this context however, they are used for the same job at different times and in fact Apothecaries in the earlier period and Assistant Surgeons in the later were required to do both and much more besides.
====Military or Civilian?====
The second problem concerns whether they are Military or Civilian and the answer to this is the former, although they could be posted as Civil Surgeons to hospitals and even jails.
====Crawford’s Roll of the Indian Medical Service====
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 the [[Madras Presidency]]. 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.
Conversely, however brilliant, the Indian born and educated men were trained in India and provided service in the ISMD, on lower pay scales. Some did rise in seniority, but would always be 'inferior' to their colleagues in the IMS. As the years went by, this perceived inferiority became an issue to be addressed. There are examples of men in the ISMD trained elsewhere, although these were in the minority. For example, The London Gazette Oct 17, 1919 lists under ''To be Senior Asst Surgeon with rank of Lieutenant: 1st class Asst Surgeons, 10th Feb 1919, Frederick William Mathews, L.R.C.P and S.I., L.M (Dub)'' ie Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (LRCSI), coupled with a Licence in Midwifery.
====British Library definition====
The [[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 Stewards, Assistant Apothecaries and Assistant Stewards, together with those in training for these roles called Hospital Apprentices or Medical Apprentices. The first four positions were of [[warrant officer]] rank, 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.
===Promotion===
Published in 1841, page 5 of ''Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger'' by John McCosh stated, in respect of the situation in Bengal,
“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.” Click here to read full article: [http://books.google.com/books?id=4y5WftsInfgC&pg=PA5 Full article] 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, page 530, [http://books.google.com/books?id=DB0YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA530 page 530]) 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 June-December 1818, [http://books.google.com/books?id=OPbiZPTdVUAC&pg=PA507 June-December 1818]) .
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 became a steward in September 1826, one was on the invalid pension from December 1833.The others were probably dead. (Dates are from the 1838 Bengal Directory [http://books.google.com/books?id=O94NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA2451838 Bengal Directory].) 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).*****Duties
===Duties===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 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. :“An invaluable appendage of the Indian army is the subordinate medical department attached to it. This, in Bengal, consists of the European establishment, and of a special class of subordinate agency for the native army, and for duty in civil hospitals appropriated to natives. :The European establishment consists of apothecaries, assistant-apothecaries, apprentices, stewards, and assistant-stewards.The apothecaries are charged with the preparation and administration of medicines, the care of wounds, accidents, and injuries, during the intervals of the visits of the surgeons, the admission of patients, and, in fact, are the general assistants of the medical officers in the performance of their professional duties in the field, in garrison, and in all the circumstances in which the troops are employed. It would be impossible to exaggerate the usefulness and importance of this excellent class of public servants. As a body, they are a credit to the service, and are of more real use, from their careful professional training, than any body of nurses could possibly be, to the sick and wounded. :They are usually the sons of soldiers, educated in the regimental schools, or in the Military Orphan School. They are admitted to the service after examination by special committees of medical officers—a concours upon a small scale—and after doing duty in regimental hospitals for two years, are (if in Bengal) transferred to the medical college in Calcutta tor two additional years of training. There they are under strict military control; are instructed in anatomy, materia medica, medicine, and surgery; are carefully trained in hospital duties as clinical clerks; and, after undergoing a tolerably strict examination—in somе particulars more severe than that of the College of Surgeons of England—are reported qualified. If they fail, are idle and insubordinate, and otherwise misconduct themselves, they are removed from the army, and forfeit all the advantages of their previous service. :In the recent Burmese campaign, and in the late Punjaub war, they were found most efficient field-assistants; and we are able, from personal knowledge, to state that some of them are more efficient members of the profession, and generally better informed, than some assistant-surgeons with whom we have come in contact, armed with degrees and diplomas from British schools of old and great pretensions. (Note: Remember that at this date assistant surgeon was an IMS title). :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. “ Click here to read the full article: " [http://books.google.com/books?id=akkBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA444 Full article] Click here to read an article about a Field Hospital after battle in 1846 including medical details, with the slightly wounded carried out on elephants ===Further reading 1===*[http://books.google.The article is called com/books?id=XhoCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA158 "The Loodianah Field Hospital, With Remarks On The State of The Army Medical Department in India " by John Murray, M.D., Field Surgeon. page 158, ''Medical Times Published '' (1849)] - an article about a Field Hospital after battle in 1849 1846 including medical details, with the slightly wounded carried out on elephants. *[http://books.google.com/books?id=XhoCAAAAYAAJrEU7AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA158Click here to read PA255 "Field Arrangements in India" in ''Army Hygiene'' by Charles Alexander Gordon (1866) page 255] - an article about the logistics of a Field Hospital, including the number of camels required for the apothecaries and stewards, in a chapter in a book called Army Hygiene by Charles Alexander Gordon published in 1866. The chapter is called Field Arrangements in India page 255 *[http://books.google.com/books?id=rEU7AAAAIAAJqUYBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA255 Click here for the numbers of staff in the Medical Department in India including number of apothecaries, approx 1842From PA17 ''The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal '' By Massachusetts Medical Society, New England Surgical Society Published 1842, page 17 http://books] - the numbers of staff in the Medical Department in India including number of apothecaries, approx 1842.google.com/books?id=qUYBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA17 *The Cambridge (UK) Centre of South Asian Studies, in its Archive Collection, has the Winn Papers which contain information about James Winn who joined the East India Company in the Bengal Establishment in 1842, aged 13. He served as an apothecary at various stations including [[Lahore]], [[Multan]], [[Dinapore]], [[Dum Dum]], [[Allahabad]], [[Calcutta]], [[Chunar]]. He was invalided out of the service at [[Meerut ]] in July 1884. (WINN 1/1 Testimonials, statements of service, etc in connection with James Winn's work as an apothecary in the service of the Bengal Establishment,1842-1884, 45 items )
More Apothecary Links
Awarded Victorian Cross August 13, 1861.
*Murder of Apothecary Healy (sometimes spelt Healey) by tribesmen, while travelling to his unit.(1850).The first link is the main link.See [http://books.google.com/books?id=axgYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA281 and''Allen's Indian Mail'' page 281], also [http://books.google.com/books?id=axgYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA313 and313], [http://books.google.com/books?id=axgYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA351 351] and[http://books.google.com/books?id=vRoCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA394394].
*The first Healy case was also mentioned in this link page 497 http://books.google.com/books?id=9SYYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA479
Assistant Apothecary Burgess murders Assistant Apothecary O’Brien in 1840 (Madras Presidency) and is sentenced to be hanged, but his sentence is commuted into “Transportation beyond the seas”. (page 234). Note at least some convicts were sent to Australia http://books.google.com/books?id=vSsYAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA234
Not all reports about Apothecaries were good (Kurratchee(Karachi), Bombay Presidency 1840’s) The Westminster Review Published 1846 page 252
http://books.google.com/books?id=wT6gAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA252
The following information is from a book published in 1870 and relates to Madras. However, it would be expected that conditions would be much the same throughout India. By this time the course at Medical College (at least in Madras and Bombay) had been extended to three years, but there was still a two year period before college, when there were examinations every six months.
http://books.google.com/books?id=WhUDAAAAQAAJ (Volume 1 which contains the above references).There is also a Volume 2 http://books.google.com/books?id=NhcDAAAAQAAJ
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)
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, Apothecaries and Assistant Surgeons continued to perform their duties but increasingly it seems that they were “in Civil Employ”.
Having said that, many continued to follow a military path, one example being Major Hector Alfred Richardson, 1875 – 1957. Born in Ellichpur, he worked at the J.J. Hospital in 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.
Interestingly, by the time these records appear in 1921, this Assistant Surgeon is listed as IMD and not ISMD. The word “subordinate” was finally dropped in 1919 – this was the year it no longer appeared in The London Gazette. It is probable that the deputation to Calcutta in 1914 was in pursuit of this aim, amongst others.
The employment of Assistant Surgeons as Jail Superintendents seems curious, but was the usual practice.
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 on the National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/. site and available to view at the British Library.
See [[Superintendents of Jails ]] for some details of daily life (note sent as separate document)
Collection 116/52 Recognition by General Medical Council of certain Indian degrees, including Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery of University of Madras. IOR/L/MIL/7/5323 1915-1916
This is an interesting collection of documents and correspondence. The hope had been that qualifications such as the LMS (Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery) would be recognised by the General Medical Council, and that at the end of 5 years in the ISMD, Assistant Surgeons would be able to study for further qualifications that would put them on an equal footing with their IMS colleagues.
Some Directories contain lists of Apothecaries and Stewards, Assistant Apothecaries and Assistant Stewards, which contain details as to when they obtained their grading and where they were currently serving. The list, in a section headed Subordinate Medical Department is usually found at the end of the Military List, following a Medical Department List. Occasionally the apothecaries are found in lists where the heading is Warrant Officers. In a few volumes Hospital Apprentices are also included, or Passed Medical Apprentices in Madras. Even if there is no specific list, the apothecary’s name may appear in the Alphabetical List of Residents, particularly for the Mofussil.
Currently (May 2009) there are only six known lists online,
