James Annesley of Madras Medical Service (1800-1838) on Cholera in Madras Presidency in 1825

The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Medical Papers and Journal Articles School of Medicine 2019 James Annesley of Madras Medical Service (1800-1838) on cholera in Madras Presidency in 1825 Ramya Raman The University of Notre Dame Australia Anantanarayanan Raman The University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/med_article This article was originally published as: Raman, R., & Raman, A. (2019). James Annesley of Madras Medical Service (1800-1838) on cholera in Madras Presidency in 1825. Current Science, 116 (6). Original article available here: https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/116/06/1026.pdf This article is posted on ResearchOnline@ND at https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/med_article/1024. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This published version of the article published in Current Science: James Annesley of Madras Medical Service (1800-1838) on cholera in Madras Presidency in 1825. Ramya Raman and Anantanarayanan Raman. CURRENT SCIENCE, 25 March 2019, Vol. 116(6), pp. 1026–1030. Published version available: https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/116/06/1026.pdf HISTORICAL NOTES James Annesley of Madras Medical Service (1800–1838) on cholera in Madras Presidency in 1825 Ramya Raman and Anantanarayanan Raman James Annesley from Ireland spent nearly four decades in Madras, first as an assistant and later as a senior surgeon attached to the Madras Medical Establishment. During this span of service he published the book in 1825 on the most prevalent diseases of India comprising a treatise on the epidemic cholera of the East. This paper recounts the epidemiology of cholera and the efforts made to manage it in the Madras Presidency in the 1820s, keeping in view the life of Annesley and the contents of his book. As ever you come of women, come in Diseases most prevalent in India. Il- Arnold’s4 (pp. 118, 119) remark on the quickly to Sir John. lustrated by Tables and Plates. By cholera epidemic in India in the 19th Ah, poor heart! He is so shak’d of a James Annesley Esq. Madras Medi- century provides a panoramic perspective burning quotidian tertian cal Establishment; lately in charge of of the intensity of the disease and its that it is most lamentable to behold. the General Hospital, Madras, and fatal effects on the one hand, and its Sweet men, come to him. Garrison-Surgeon to Fort St. George. social–historical implications on the – London, 1825.’ people of India on the other: William Shakespeare King Henry V, Act II, Scene I Thomas and George Underwood, Lon- ‘…even though the sub-continent (words of Hostess to Corporal Nym). don, published this book by Annesley in was the source of the cholera pan- 1825 (Figure 1). demics and itself suffered millions of ‘How do humans live in tropical land- Cholera was considered the classic deaths from the disease during the scapes that generally experience high in- epidemic disease of the 19th century2. nineteenth and early twentieth centu- tensities of warm temperature?’ was one The disease, strongly implicated to have ries. This silence might seem to indi- question that usually concerned several originated in the Indian subcontinent, cate that because cholera was native British medical personnel in the early spread to parts of Europe and USA in the to India it generated none of the decades of the 19th century. Seeking an- 19th century, triggering people’s unrest strong reactions that marked its ap- swer to this question1 and also to earn and consequent riots, which prompted pearance in the west and that, what- large sums of money (note 1), many Eng- the local municipal administrators to ever was its demographic impact, it lish, Scottish and Irish medical doctors implement measures of better administra- was of marginal political and social came to India to work with the English tion and public hygiene, thus controlling significance. … Cholera provides a East-India Company (EEIC). Several of cholera, eventually3. In contrast, David convenient point of entry for the them went to other tropical British colo- study of mentality as well as the nies, such as the Bahamas and Jamaica. material conditions of India’s subor- Most of them wrote books sharing their dinate classes, while also illustrating experiences in those tropical nations. the interventionist capacity of the James Annesley came to India from colonial state and the political con- Ireland to serve in the Madras Medical straints that acted upon it.’ Service of the EEIC. He wrote a few books on tropical diseases in general, Keeping the above context in full based on his long innings as a junior and view, this paper highlights the work of senior surgeon. The following an- Annesley in the understanding of the nouncement occurs in the London Medi- science of cholera during his medical ca- cal and Physical Journal, edited by reer in the Madras Presidency. Roderick MacLeod (1825, 54, 523): ‘Sketches of the most prevalent Dis- James Annesley eases of India; comprising a Treatise on the Epidemic Cholera of the East; James Annesley (JA, Portrait 1) was born Statistical and Topographical Reports in 1774 to Marcus Annesley of County of the Diseases in the different Divi- Down, Ireland. He studied at Trinity Col- sions of the Army, under the Madras lege and the Company of Surgeons (CoS) Presidency: embracing also the (note 2). In 1795, JA earned his Mem- annual Rate of Mortality, &c. of Eu- bership of the CoS (modern equivalent ropean Troops, and practical Obser- being ‘Member of the Royal College of Surgeons’, M.R.C.S.). In 1799, he was vations on the Effects of Calomel on Figure 1. Cover of Annesley’s book the Alimentary Canal, and on the (1825; public domain). selected for medical service of the EEIC. 1026 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 116, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2019 HISTORICAL NOTES He arrived in India in December 1800. charge as the Superintendent of the ‘It may be remarked as an instance of He was appointed as an assistant surgeon Madras General Hospital, until he re- extraordinary zeal in his professions, in the Native-Infantry Battalion, Trichi- turned to Britain in 1824. On leaving that, from that period to the present nopoly Corps (Tiruchirapalli, 10°48′N, Madras back to England, he was bade fa- time, he has never treated a case, ei- 78°41′E). Between 1802 and 1805, he rewell with a plate worth 100 guineas ther in public hospitals or in private served in different towns of the Madras (note 5). practice, without recording minutely Presidency. JA was invited to return to Madras in the symptoms of the disease, the re- In 1806, JA was posted as the Garrison 1829 on an assignment to examine the medies employed, and the results of Surgeon at Masulipatnam (16°17′N, medical records of previous years on the the application. His attention has al- 81°13′E). Here he got to see and treat pa- dictate from the Government of Madras ways been particularly directed to the tients suffering from various infectious that he should explore the patterns of dif- effects and the operation of medi- diseases of tropical India. He meticulous- ferent infectious diseases then rampant in cines, with reference to particular ly recorded the disease history and other the Madras Presidency. He analysed the symptoms and, in the event of pertinent details of every patient, noting archived records from 1788 to 1829. He casualties, the post mortem appear- symptoms, medications used and treat- linked the climate data of Madras Presi- ances have been looked to, with ref- ment outcomes. In 1811, he was ap- dency to disease epidemiology. His erence to both to the symptoms of the pointed as the Superintendent of a field report consisted of 12 volumes, accom- disease, and the remedies used.’ hospital established by the Government panied by 4 supplementary volumes, of Madras for native troops, which func- which pertained to medical observations. His nearly four decades of stay in Madras, tioned as a part of the Java Expedition These volumes are of considerable inter- dealing with patients suffering diverse launched by the British (for details of the est even today. He was appointed a infectious, tropical illnesses empowered Expedition, please see William James, member of the Madras Medical Board in him to get deeply interested into under- 1847, The Naval History of Great Brit- 1833 and served the Board for the next standing tropical diseases, interpreting ain, from the Declaration of War by five years. He served in the Madras Pres- them and suggest effective treatment and Trace in 1793, to the Accession of idency for 38 years, barring a few management tactics. George IV, vol. IV, Richard Bentley, months of leave of absence. He was London, UK). He became so popular elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Annesley’s Sketches of the Most among the native soldiers, who were to Society in 1840 and the Royal College of 6 be recruited for overseas service and Surgeons of Ireland in 1844. He was Prevalent Diseases of India… those belonging to the ‘Madras Regi- knighted in 1844. He was also a Fellow ment’ (note 3), that they readily volun- of the Society of Antiquaries. He died in This 464-page book is presented in three teered for service in any part of the Florence, Italy in 1847. parts: (1) On the epidemic cholera of world. In 1812, JA joined the Madras JA’s publications include Sketches of India, (2) Reports of diseases of the European Regiment (note 4) and re- the Most Prevalent Diseases of India…6, army under the Madras Presidency, and mained with it until 1817. He was pro- Treatment of Prevalent Diseases of In- (3) Practical observation on the effects of moted as the Superintending Surgeon to dia, 1825; and the multi-volume Digest calomel on the mucous surface of the the advanced divisions of the army and of Madras Medical Reports 1788‒1829.

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