Genl. James Ellis
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Jan., 1914.] THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE MEDICAL BOARD. had to wait some twelve, nearly twenty years. It would have probably taken him several years, Original ^Hitles;. ten or to possibly twelve, get his company as a so he combatant, naturally chose to accept pro- motion in the medical SURGEON-GENERAL JAMES ELLIS. department, and resigned his commission as Ensign. He remained in the By D. G. CRAWFORD, army, however, as a military Surgeon, for two LIEUTENANT-COLONEL (retired list), years more ; and, as an Army Surgeon, served Bengal Medical Service. in the Bihar war of 1763, under Major Adams, against Qasim Ali Khan, the Nawab of One of the most in the Bengal. striking figures early Adams defeated the Nawab's forces in three of the Medical Service is James history Bengal decisive actions, at Katwa on 19th at Ellis, the third officer in that to bear July, Presidency Gharia on 2nd August, and at Undwa the title of Surgeon-General, the first Nala, Physician- East of on 5th Ellis was General, and first President of the Medical Board. Rajmahal, September. present, and was the senior medical officer James Ellis went out to India in 1758 as present, Surgeon at the actions of Gharia, which he calls of the Streatham. That vessel was lost in the Sooty and Gharia are close both are in of Ellis reached and was (Suti together, Bay Bengal. Calcutta, the north-west corner of Mursliidabad a mate or Assistant district), appointed Surgeon's Surgeon and of Undwa Nala. After the latter he served on 1st November 1759. He was sent on active in the Khargpur jungles, now in service at once, and spent the next three years Monghyr district, and at the siege and capture of the in jungle fighting in the tracts which are now the Monghyr, Nawab's capital. He does not appear to have districts of Midnapur, Burdwan, and Birbhum. been present at the capture of Patna, which ended He seems to have taken to military life, kindly the war, and drove Qasim Ali a into for, a after he in November 1760, fugitive year joined, India, but remained at in he was a Commission as Upper Monghyr, charge granted Ensign by Henry of a General established Vansittart, the Governor of who had Hospital there, which Bengal, was transferred to Patna after the of been nominated as his successor Clive. Pend- capture that by Ellis with it. It is ing Vansittart's arrival from Madras, John city, going hardly likely that Ellis was the only medical officer with Adams' Zephaniah Holwell, a former member of the force, indeed he himself says he was the Senior Medical Service, took over from Clive, charge Surgeon of that force, which the who went home in January 1760, and acted as implies presence of But he is the one whose name Governor for six months, from 28th juniors. only is just January recorded as in the and to 27th 1760. serving campaign, that July the accident of the Ellis was thus one of the few members of the only by preservation by " Orme of his memorial, below. I. M. S., who for some time held a double com- given In the and in the mission," i.e., a commission as a combatant officer previous fighting, Patna some in addition to his warrant as Assistant Surgeon. massacre, perished sixty-five officers; of He was fortunate in his whom sixteen were Civilians, including two mem- extremely promotion, bers of William Ellis and for he was appointed a full Surgeon by Vansittart Council, William Hay at and a Peter in October 1761. According to the rules then in Patna, third, Amyat, previously killed at Murshidabad six were medical force, an officer who had received a combatant ; officers, and the remainder commission as well as a medical warrant could combatants, Captains and Subalterns William hold the two as as he remained ; Fullerton, Surgeon of Patna together only long the in the rank of Subaltern. When his turn came Residency, being only officer, civil or military, of the force in for promotion, either to Surgeon or to Captain, previously Bihar, who escaped he with his life. The medical officers who fell were had to make up his mind in which branch of Head Clement who had accom- the army he would remain ; either to retain his Surgeon Crooke, from combatant commission and the medical panied Hay and Amyat Calcutta, Surgeons quit William Peter department, or to remain permanently in the Anderson, Campbell, Henry Harlan or and Smith, the last called a latter, his commission as Ensign or Harling, Swiss, resigning the name sounds Lieutenant. Most of the officers who held a though English enough. Perhaps his name was double commission in this manner elected to really Schmidt. Harlan's career, as Subaltern of deserter to remain in the medical service; a few, notably Surgeon, Artillery, the Marathas, and finally is one of Archibald Swinton and Archibald Keir, " Surgeon again, preferred interest. But that is another to continue to serve in the combatant ranks. story." These five were all killed in the Patna massacre. The Ellis appears to have been the only one who had sixth, John Ham, of Kasimbazar to make his choice while still an Ensign. The Surgeon factory, had died as a others had all reached the rank of Lieutenant, previously prisoner at Monghyr. and were fairly senior in that rank, before they Crooke was second Surgeon of Calcutta, and had to make their decision. his death left that post vacant. The Fort William Ellis, however, was so fortunate as to reachConsultations of 9th November 1763 note that the the rank of full Surgeon with only two years'appointment is to be offered in succession to service, a rank for which many Assistant SurgeonsDoctors Francis Russell of Dakka, William THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. [Jan., 1914. Fullerton of Patna, and John Davidson of Chitta- Surgeons respectively in Calcutta. Gray resigned who declines the and went gong, and state that any officer home in March 1760, Fullerton resigned post now will be considered to have resigned all the Calcutta appointment about the same time, to claim to it in the future. All three declined the take up that of Surgeon to the Patna Residency, appointment, preferring to remain in their mofussil and went home on leave soon after. Tyso Saul stations. Fullerton had already held the post Hancock and John Taylor were appointed in their for ten years, during which he had served in the places. Hancock resigned the service on account siege of Calcutta in June 1756, and at its recapture of failing eyesight on 23rd March 1761. He was in 1757. He was on duty on boardship afterwards to the service on 25th January re-appointed" at the time of the final surrender, so escaped the November 1770 as Supernumerary Surgeon, Black Hole. He finally resigned the service in not to rise," and died in Calcutta on 5th November March 1766. Russell remained at Dakka for 1775. He was an intimate personal friend of another twelve years ; he resigned on 24th Febru- Warren Hastings. On Hancock's resignation ary 1775, and died at Bath on 5th August 1791. William Plenderleath, Surgeon of Kasimbazar fac- Davidson, in spite of the above orders, came to tory, succeeded him. Plenderleath was drowned Calcutta later on, in May 1766. He resigned in the Hughli early in 1762, when Clement Crooke on 11th January 1768, and was still living in was transferred from Chittagong to succeed him, retirement near Edinburgh in 1792. When he and Davidson from military employ to Chittagong. retired, Daniel Campbell was transferred from Possibly Ellis, who was second Surgeon, may Kasimbazar to succeed him in Calcutta. have acted for a time in 1765 as first Surgeon. The Fort William Consultations of 25th Novem- Ellis had risen to be head of the Civil branch of ber 1763 record that, Russell, Fullerton. and the service with little over eleven years' service. Davidson having all declined the post, Ellis is He had, however, no authority over the medical appointed one of the Head Surgeons in Calcutta. officers in military employ, Surgeon-General The Presidency Surgeons in Calcutta, two in Anderson being the head of that branch. Ellis number up to 12th April 1763, and four after retained the post of First Surgeon for little over that date, were called Head Surgeons, and the two years. Two General Letters from Fort senior had some authority over the other members William, dated 1st March 1773 and 15th March of the service, but his administrative powers were 1774, report his resignation, the appointment of vague and ill defined, until the appointment of a Campbell to succeed him, and his departure for controlling officer with the title of Surgeon-General. England (Abstracts, Letters from Bengal, Vol. II, The institution of this post was recommended by 1770-74, pages 240 and 350). General Richard Smith on 8th November " 1869, Letter of ls? March 1773, para. 53. Senior Surgeon and reported to Court, as carried out, in para. Mr. Daniel Campbell succeeded on Mr. Ellis's resigna- 57 of a Fort William General Letter, dated 25th tion ; liave found it necessary to unite the two Depart- 1770 Letters ments of Civil and Military Surgeons, which will pub January (Abstracts, from Bengal, them on a more and Vol. equitable footing prevent jealousies." I, 1760-1770, page 403). Letter of 15th March 1774, paragraph 108.?"Mr. " Surgeon-General to the Army appointed at the recom- James Ellis, your late Chief Surgeon, takes passage by mendation of General Smith, 8th November.