Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences October 2020 Vol 1 Issue 2 EDITORIAL Indian contribution in medical science — Modern medicine (Part 1) Manidip Pal The modern medicine has entered India 1893 & passed Licentiate of the College of with the arrival of European traders (1600 Physicians, Edinburg (LRCP), Licentiate of A.D.) and their colonialisation in India. the College of Surgeons, Glasgow (LRCS), ‘Ecole de Medicine de Pondicherry’ (present & Licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians JIPMER, Puducherry) was established in and Surgeons, Dublin (LFPS). She practiced 1823 by French Government and started the medicine graciously for 37 years till she teaching western medicine in Asia. Medical expired.2 College, Bengal (present Medical College, Anandi Gopalrao Joshi (1865- Kolkata) established in 28th January 1835 1887) was the first Indian woman to be was the first medical college in Asia to teach qualified as a doctor of western medicine. in English. Chronology has been maintained She received her MD in Obstetrics from the according to the birth year of the legends. Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, Pandit Madhusudan Gupta (1800- USA in 1886. However after returning to 1856), an Ayurved Professor, along with India she could not practice medicine as she Professor H.H. Goodeve, performed the first succumbed to death due to tuberculosis.3 dissection of human dead body by an Indian Rai Bahadur Sir Upendranath at the Medical College, Bengal, raising Brahmachari (1873-1946) had crowned above all the prejudice of the society on the the feather of discovery of Urea Stibamine day of 10th January 1836 which had opened which is an essential drug for treatment the door to Indians to study the subjects of of Kala-azar (Visceral Leishmaniasis). He western medicine properly. Pandit Gupta worked in a small ill equipped room at was also accompanied by his 3 students Campbell Hospital (present NRS Medical Umacharan Sett, Dwarka Nath Gupta, Raj College) tirelessly for 5 years to discover Kristo Dey.1 the drug in 1920. He had done many other Kadambini Ganguly (1861-1923) scientific discoveries e.g. for malaria, was the first female practitioner of western haemolysis etc which are compiled in two medicine in India. She passed her Graduate volumes under his authorship entitled of Medical College of Bengal (GMCB) degree “Gleanings from my research” published in 1886. She also sailed to England in by the University of Calcutta in 1940 and Received: 27 September 2020 Dept. of Obs & Gyn, Accepted: 27 September 2020 College of Medicine & JNM Hospital, WBUHS, Published online: 16 October 2020 Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal Citation: Pal M. Indian contribution in medical science — email: [email protected] Modern medicine (Part 1). J West Bengal Univ Health Sci. 2020; 1(2):1-5. ©Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences 1 2 Indian Contribution 1941.4 Sir Upendranath was nominated for Association in 192814,15 and the first non- the Nobel Prize (physiology or medicine) official President of All India Medical Council twice in 1929 and 1942.5 in 1939.12 He led the official formation of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) on Rai Bahadur Jaising P. Modi 4th April, 1948, before the formation of the (1875–1954) is the father of Indian Forensic American College of Cardiology in 1949 Medicine.6,7 He had written the first forensic and many others.16 As Chief Minister he medicine book in India “Text Book of Medical reformed the modern West Bengal. He was Jurisprudence & Toxicology” in1920. He recipient of highest civilian award of India was the first HOD of Forensic medicine of “Bharat Ratna”. KGMU, Lucknow.8 Yellapragada Subbarow (1895-1948) Sir Ramnath Chopra (1882-1973) discovered phosphocreatine and adenosine is remembered as Father of Pharmacology triphosphate as cellular energy sources in India.9,10 He was the first professor of which contributed many developments in Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine1 and biochemistry. Discovery of aminopterin (folic established the first “Centre of study and acid antagonist) used for acute leukaemia, research in pharmacology” in India. In methotrexate , derivative of aminopterin Indian pharmacopeia ispaghula, rauwol, , used for many dermatology and oncology cobra venom, kurchi, psoralea etc. patient, Aureomycin, the first tetracycline, (indigenous substance) were included by Diethylcarbamazine, for treatment of him. The books “Indigenous Drugs of India”, filariasis and Polymyxin are credited to him. “Glossary of Medicinal Plants of India” and Among vitamins, B12 used for pernicious “Poisonous Plants of India” are considered anemia, niacin for pellagra, vitamin B5 as encyclopaedia of Indian medicinal plants, and biotin are discovered by him. One of written by Chopra & associates.11 the highest followed procedures is Fiske- Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882-1962) Subbarow method of colorimetric estimation is proved to be the grand panjandrum of of phosphorous in blood and urine.17 medicine in India.12 His unique date of birth (1895- and date death 1st July has been celebrated Vasant Ramji Khanolkar 1978) deserved to be called as Father of as Doctor’s Day in India. His achievement Pathology in India. He only first described was completion of both F.R.C.S. and M. the dhoti cancers, carcinogenicity of R. C. P. Simultaneously. BMJ said he tobacco and needle aspiration cytology for was the first medical consultant in Indian the diagnosis of neoplasms. He had huge subcontinent, who towered over his contributions to the cancer epidemiology contemporaries in several fields. He was so and its understanding, leprosy and blood famous as a doctor that news of his visit to groupings.18 He was the recipient of Padma a city or even railway station bringing forth Bhushan in 1955. hordes of would-be patients.12 He played an important role in the establishment Subodh Mitra (1896-1961) is the of Jadavpur T.B. Hospital, Chittaranjan renowned gynaeoncologist who invented Seva Sadan, Chittaranajn Cancer Hospital, the Mitra’s operation for cervical cancer Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, Victoria treatment, which was the number 1 cancer Institution.13 He also played a key role in of women in India, till few years back. formation of Indian Institute of Mental Extraperitoneal lymphadenectomy with Health, Infectious Disease Hospital, and radical vaginal hysterectomy was well postgraduate medical college in Kolkata. He appreciated throughout the whole world.19 was the one who establish Indian Medical He had used the radium as radiation J West Bengal Univ Health Sci | Vol. 1 | Issue 2 | October 2020 Manidip Pal 3 therapy for treatment of cervical cancer in Biology, Kolkata. The idea of Central Food those early era.20 Technological Research Institute, Mysore, was conceived by him.27,28 In his honour Raman Viswanathan (1899–1982) is Biresh Chandra Guha memorial lecture considered as the Father of Chest Medicine is started by Indian National Science in India.21 He was the founder director Academy.29 of Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute. He first proposed tropical eosinophilia as a Vidya Sagar Diwan (1909-1978) is distinct clinical entity of bronchopulmonary aptly called as Father of Indian Psychiatry. diseases. His other research work covered Involvement of family in the psychiatric pathogenesis of basal tuberculosis, patient care was his main contribution which mechanism of lung atelectasis, etio- has revolutionized the psychiatric patient pathogenesis of bronchiectasis, mechanisms care. He had invented the camp approach underlying the production of high altitude in psychiatry by putting up tents in the pulmonary oedema, epidemiology of chronic hospital campus to provide services for more obstructive lung diseases, asthma and number of patients and accommodation of occupational diseases, chemotherapy of their families. This new approach proved to tuberculosis, etc.22 He was the recipient of be effective in reducing the social stigma to Padma Bhushan in 1974. psychiatric patients.30 K C Chaudhuri (1901-1973) is B.N. Sinha (1910-2000) is fondly known considered as Father of Indian Paediatrics.23 as Father of Orthopedics in India.31,32 He had The Institute of Child Health, Calcutta, pioneering work in the field of rehabilitation was established by Dr K C Chaudhury in of physically challenged patients. He was 1956. Indian Journal of Pediatrics , the first the founder president of “Indian Orthopedic pediatrics journal of India and probably in Association and recipient of Padmashree in Asia, was launched by him in 1933.24 the year 1970.31 George Coelho (?) first Superintendent Air Vice Marshal Madhukar (1928) of BJ Hospital for Children – the first Mallanah Srinagesh (1912-?) an children’s hospital in India, also addressed illustrious luminary in the field of Aviation by some as Father of Indian Pediatrics.25,26 Medicine, is considered as Father of Aviation He had started independent research and Medicine in India.33,34 He specialised in services in pediatrics in 1928. Under his Aviation Medicine from USA in 1957. He leadership postgraduate diploma in child was key person in bringing the School of health (DCH) was started at BJ Hospital and Aviation Medicine at Bangalore. Very Bai Jeerbai Wadia hospital for children in high reputation of this institution was the 1944 and at University of Bombay in 1946.25 result of initiative, zeal, hard work and high standard of professional ability of him.35 Biresh Chandra Guha (1904-1962) was the man who made the biochemistry Lakhumal Hiranand Hiranandani as separate subjects in India and has been (1917–2013) was an Indian otolaryngologist remembered as Father of Biochemistry who developed many new surgical techniques in India.27 His main research work was which collectively known as Dr Hiranandani’s on biosynthesis of vitamin C. He also Operations. He initiated a treatment protocol contributed worthy research on vitamin for throat cancer which ultimately integrated b-complex, food and nutrition. He was one head and neck surgeries with ENT in India.