Early decades of Madras Medical College: Apothecaries.
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Date
2016-03
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Abstract
The Government at Fort St George determined that a school for
instructing and training candidates towards the titles of
‘apothecary’ was necessary to improve medical help to people
in the 1830s. This led to the establishment of the medical school
in Madras (presently Chennai) in 1835. The school got
renamed as the Madras Medical College in 1850. From 1835,
the Madras Medical School offered formal training to personnel
to be called either ‘apothecaries’ or ‘dressers’ under the
superintendence of William Mortimer, who was assisted by
George Harding in teaching at the school. Apothecary D’Beaux
and Dresser P. S. Muthuswami Mudaliar were subordinate
assistants. These apothecaries were recruited essentially under
the Subordinate Medical Service of Madras, which was established
in 1812 and included non-commissioned medical servants. The
Madras apothecaries launched the Madras Apothecaries Society
in 1864, which aimed at promoting and advancing medical
science and knowledge. This society existed until 1871. Formal
training of apothecaries ceased in Madras by the later decades
of the 19th century, although informal training continued,
especially for army cadets and women. Establishment of medical
schools in Royapuram (which developed as the Stanley Medical
College and Hospital), Tanjavur and Madurai, in the early
decades of the 20th century and the ‘branch’ of Madras Medical
College in Calicut during the Second World War changed the
complexion of training of medical personnel immensely in pre-
1947 Madras Presidency. The Royapuram and other Medical
Schools in Madras trained medical practitioners granting the
title ‘Licensed Medical Practitioner’ (LMP). Whether the
apothecary–dresser training at the ‘old’ Madras Medical College
had a role to play in these developments remains to be verified.
Natl Med J India 2016;29:98–102
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Raman Ramya, Raman Anantanarayanan. Early decades of Madras Medical College: Apothecaries. National Medical Journal of India. 2016 Mar-Apr; 29(2): 98-102.