Jan., 1914.J 150th ANNIVERSARY OF I. M. S. 21

J n d i a n Jtfl t d i c a 1 <? agq 11 q.

JANUARY.

150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDIAN

MEDICAL SERVICE, 1st JANUARY 1764?1st JANUARY 1914.

We cannot let the January number of the

Gazette which, for 48 years, lias represented the

work and the interests of the Indian Medical

Service, go to press without recalling to our

readers the interesting fact that The Indian

Medical Service takes its date as a regular medical establishment with fixed grades, and

definite rules for promotion from grade to grade from 1st January 1764, or 150 years ago. The

Bengal Medical Service was the first of the three

Presidential Services to be founded; the Madras

and Bombay establishments soon followed, but no

formal orders concerning them appear to have

been preserved. In Chapter XIII of his forthcoming History

of the Indian Medical Service, Lt.-Col. D. Gr.

Crawford states that the Bengal Medical Service

was founded by orders passed in the Fort William

Consultations of 20th October 1763, with effect from 1st January 1764. These orders run as

follows :?

" At a consultation present: The Hon'ble Henry Vansittart, Esq.

President.

John Carnac, Esq.

Warren Hastings, Esq. Randolph Marriott, Esq. Hugh Watts, Esq.

# * * # *

" As there has never been any proper Establishment settled for the Appoint- ment and Succession of the Surgeons employed under this Presidency.

" It is now agreed that the following Plan shall be established regulating their Number, Rank, and Succession and Appointments and that it shall take place the 1st January 1764, viz.

" Four Head Surgeons to reside at Calcutta and have the Privilege of Company's Servants.* The

two first to have the Hospital Contract.

"

Eight Surgeons of which the four eldest to be stationed at the Factories of Patna, Cossimbuzar,

Chittagong and Dacca. And the other four to be

Surgeons of the Army, and the whole of this Rank to succeed in Rotation tobe Head Surgeons at Calcutta.

"

Twenty-eight Surgeons' Mates who are to suc- ceed in their Seniority to be Surgeons. Of these

the eight eldest upon the list to live in Calcutta, the next Eight to be Surgeons' Mates of the Army, and the other twelve to be Surgeons' Mates of the Seapoys, one to each Battalion.

" Head Surgeons and Surgeons at the subordi- natesf and the Army to have ten shillings a Day Pay, and the latter when in the Field to

draw Captain's Batta. "The Surgeons' Mates at Calcutta to have 7/6

per Day each, those of Army and Seapoys 5/- a

Day, and Lieutenant's Batta when in the Field. "

Agreed .that we write to the Court of Di-

rectors to send Us out some Surgeons' Mates to

compleat this Establishment." The beginnings of the Medical Department in

India were long before this. The Surgeons of the

Company's first fleet which sailed from London in

1600 (whose names are Ralph Salter, James

Lovering, Christopher Newchurch and John

Grammond), are probably entitled to be considered the first Medical Officers of the East India

Company. Later on the names of Gabriel

Boughton, and William Hamilton are landmarks in the history of the English in India, but no

Regular Service or Establishment was formed till

the date given above 1st January 1764. This historical event will be duly comme-

morated by the Service by a public dinner in Calcutta on 14th January 1914.

* i-e-, the privilege of private trade, with the use of the

jDastak, or trade pass. t At the subordinate factories, Patna, Dakka, etc.