Sir Kedarnath Das CIE, MD (1867–1936) was a prominent obstetrician and medical educator of India from Calcutta.

Education

Kedarnath Das was educated at Scottish Church College, Calcutta. He graduated in Medicine in 1892 from Calcutta Medical College. He earned his MD in

Gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...

and

Obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

from Madras University in 1895.

Career

Kedarnath started his career as a registrar at Calcutta Medical College. Then he was appointed as a teacher in midwifery in Campbell Medical School in 1899. He joined Carmichael Medical College and became the head of department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 1919. He remained as the Principal of Carmichael Medical College from 1922 till his death in 1936. Official website of R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital
, ''Principals of R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital'' He served as dean of Faculty of Medicine at Calcutta University and was a member of the Bengal council of Medical Registration and the governing body of the State Medical Faculty of Bengal. He became a member of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

in 1901, serving as vice-president of its Calcutta branch from 1928 to 1930 and as president from 1931 to 1934.

Publications

Journal articles published in the Indian Medical Gazette and international medical journals include material on

brain tumour A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondary ...

s, diabetes, and tetanus. Books include ''A Handbook of Obstetrics'' (1914) and ''A Textbook of Midwifery'' (1920). His most important work is the 900-page ''Obstetric Forceps: Its History and Evolution'' (1928), which he researched by touring Europe and America and collecting obstetric forceps of various kinds.

Long curved obstetric forceps

Das designed a lighter and shorter variety of long curved obstetric forceps for use in the delivery of babies of Indian women, who typically have a smaller

pelvis The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

and babies with a lower birth weight.

Awards and honours

He was named an Honorary Fellow of the

American Gynaecological Society American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

and the American Associations of Obstetricians, Gynaecologists and Abdominal Surgeons. He was a foundation fellow of British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He received the Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1918 and was knighted in June 1933.

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Das, Kedarnath Indian medical educators 1867 births 1936 deaths Medical doctors from Kolkata Scottish Church College alumni University of Calcutta alumni Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata Indian obstetricians 19th-century Indian educators Indian medical writers Academic staff of the University of Calcutta Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Knights Bachelor Indian Knights Bachelor 20th-century Indian non-fiction writers 19th-century Indian non-fiction writers 20th-century Indian educators Educators from West Bengal 19th-century Indian medical doctors 20th-century Indian medical doctors Indian gynaecologists Medical doctors from British India