Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty, also spelled Surjo Kumar Chakraborty ( – 29 September 1874) was the first Indian to pass the examination of the
Indian Medical Service
The Indian Medical Service (IMS) was a military medical service in British India, which also had some civilian functions. It served during the two World Wars, and remained in existence until the independence of India in 1947. Many of its officer ...
(IMS) in 1855 and subsequently became the Professor of
Materia Medica at
Calcutta Medical College
Calcutta Medical College, officially Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, is a public medical school and hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the oldest existing hospital in Asia. The institute was established on 28 January 1835 by L ...
(CMC) in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Orphaned at the age of six, his aspirations for an English education led him to the
Hare School and then entry into medicine at the Medical College of Bengal, where, under the guidance of retired professor of anatomy and obstetrics
Henry Goodeve
Henry Hurry Iles Goodeve (1807 – 29 September 1884) was a British physician, surgeon, anatomy lecturer and member of the Bengal Medical Service. He became professor of anatomy and obstetrics at Calcutta Medical College and was later involved ...
and funding from the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
, he was one of the first four
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
medical students taken to England in 1845 for further medical training. Upon return to India in 1850, despite his achievements being celebrated and supported by some of his British colleagues, he was prohibited from taking up a senior post in the IMS. When the announcement to open the IMS examination to 'all' came in 1854, Chuckerbutty took the opportunity to take it and passed in second place.
Returning again to India, he became the first Indian professor of Medicine at the CMC. In addition, he co-founded the
Bethune Society and became the president of the Bengal Branch 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 ...
. As one of the earliest Indians to contribute to western medicine, he published in medical journals including ''
The Lancet
''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823.
The journal publishes original research articles, ...
'', the ''
British Medical Journal
''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origi ...
'' and ''
The Indian Medical Gazette''. Initially embracing the British ways of life, his later lectures, "Popular Lectures on Subjects of Indian Interest", following the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
, reflected his changed opinion and criticism of European interest. He died in
Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
during a visit to London in 1874.
Early life
Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty was born a
Kulin Brahmin
Kulin Brahmins are the Bengali Brahmins belonging to Hindu religion. They trace their ancestry to five families of Kannauj who migrated to Bengal.
History
In the 11th century AD, after the decline of the Pala dynasty, a Hindu king, Adi Sura brou ...
, as Soorjo Coomar Chuckerbutty, in either 1824, 1826 or 1827 in Kanaksar,
Bikrampur
Bikrampur ("City of Courage") was a pargana situated south of Dhaka, the modern capital city of Bangladesh. In the present day, it is known as Munshiganj District of Bangladesh. It is a historic region in Bengal and was a part of the Bhawal Est ...
division,
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, to
pleader
A special pleader was a historical legal occupation. The practitioner, or "special pleader" in English law specialised in drafting "pleadings", in modern terminology statements of case.
History
Up to the 19th century, there were many rules, tech ...
, Radhamadhab Chuckerbutty.
He was orphaned at the age of six.
Subsequently he completed his early education in
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
,
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
at his home village school (
Pathshala
Drik Picture Library is a photography agency and picture library based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Background
Drik Picture Library was established in 1989 by Bangladeshi writer and photographer Shahidul Alam and Bangladeshi writer and anthropolog ...
). Then, at the age of 13, he became influenced by an official visit and his first experience of hearing English. As a consequence, he travelled the sixty mile journey to
Comilla
Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...
where he was taken under a district court official, Golok Nath Sen, and attended the English school where in order to pay his way, he exchanged working as a cook for English lessons. He gained admission to the
Hare School in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
(then Calcutta).
Early medical career
Challenging Hindu prejudices against touching dead bodies had been instigated in the previous decade when CMC’s first anatomy professor,
Henry Goodeve
Henry Hurry Iles Goodeve (1807 – 29 September 1884) was a British physician, surgeon, anatomy lecturer and member of the Bengal Medical Service. He became professor of anatomy and obstetrics at Calcutta Medical College and was later involved ...
demonstrated anatomy to his first cohort of Hindu students in the 1830s.
It was most likely as a result of his influence that Chuckerbuttty himself added "Goodeve" to his own name, inserting it before his surname,
and his
enry Goodeve'srecommendation that he gained entry into the then new Medical College of Bengal (CMC), at his second attempt in 1844. The College had been established in 1835 by
M. J. Bramley, who was an advocate of travelling fellowships for bright students,
and at the request of Goodeve, who had been proposing the extension of medical training to certain Hindus
and who had offered to bear costs for one student, plans materialised for one such trip.
In 1845,
the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
sponsored Chuckerbutty's travel to England for further medical education.
Together with Bholanath Bose from
Barrackpore
Barrackpore (also known as Barrackpur) is a city and a municipality of urban Kolkata of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA ...
and Gopal Chunder Seal, who were sponsored by a regional entrepreneur,
Dwarkanath Tagore
Dwarkanath Tagore ( bn, দ্বারকানাথ ঠাকুর, ''Darokanath Ţhakur''; 1794–1846) was one of the first Indian industrialists to form an enterprise with British partners. He was the son of Ramlochon Tagore, the founder ...
and another student, Dwarka Nath Basu, the four travelled by ship with Goodeve.
Chuckerbutty was the youngest of them.
File:"The New Medical College Hospital, Calcutta," Illustrated London News, 1853.jpg, "The New Medical College Hospital, Calcutta," ''Illustrated London News'', 1853
File:Henry Goodeve.png, Henry Goodeve
Life in England
Chuckerbutty was Goodeve's favourite student.
and much of Chuckerbutty's account of life in England comes from memoirs of Professor Goodeve, who described how he embraced and was charmed by the British ways of life and of Christianity, views that years later Chuckerbutty had changed opinion of.
Having travelled to London with Goodeve,
the four students also resided with him at 7 Upper Woburn Place.
Chuckerbutty passed the first M.B. examination in the first division in 1847.
He became a member of the
Royal College of Surgeons
The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...
(RCS) in 1848.
At one point during his training, he was awarded the gold medal for
comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny (the evolution of species).
The science began in the classical era, continuing in t ...
, before completing his
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
in 1849, in the first division and achieving the second place in order of merit.
Minimum age requirements for the examinations meant that he attained his qualifications two years after the other students.
On Chuckerbutty's behalf, Goodeve had successfully requested for further funding and an extension to stay.
In 1848, he reported to the Medical College in Calcutta, his spontaneous conversion to Christianity and his adoption of his new name Soorjo Coomar "Goodeve" Chuckerbutty.
Chuckerbutty had a particular close tie with the professor of comparative anatomy,
Robert Edmond Grant
Robert Edmond Grant Doctor of Medicine, MD Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, FRCPEd Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE Zoological Society of London, FZS Geological Society of London, FGS (11 November 1793 – 23 August 1874) was a Br ...
, who previously taught
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
.
Professor Grant also mentored Chuckerbutty and allowed him to be involved in three of his
natural history expeditions around Europe. By the end of these trips, he had taught himself French and German,
and some of his notes from these voyages were later published.
He would have perhaps taken a fourth journey, had the
French Revolution of 1848
The French Revolution of 1848 (french: Révolution française de 1848), also known as the February Revolution (), was a brief period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation ...
not interrupted its plans.
Once, Chuckerbutty took one of Professor Grant's lectures, teaching comparative anatomy to a class of more than five hundred.
Indian Medical Service
Before 1855, Indians were not permitted to take senior appointments in the IMS.
[ The recommendation by barrister and advocate of educating higher caste Hindus Sir Edward Ryan, after whom Chuckerbutty later named his elder son, proposed that Chuckerbutty should be appointed to the covenanted medical service and a professorship at the CMC on his return to India in 1850. However, this was denied by authorities and he therefore, took up a post as an assistant physician to the uncovenanted service at the Calcutta Medical Hospital (CMH) in 1850.]
In 1854, under the uncovenanted medical service, he was appointed the Professor of '' Materia Medica'' and Clinical Medicine and Second Physician to the Hospital. Opportunities for Indians to take up higher posts was one mission of Sir Edwards, and in 1854, the East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
opened up the covenanted Medical Service examination to all. As a consequence, Chuckerbutty decided to travel back to London to sit it. He was one of the twenty-two candidates out of twenty-eight, and the first Indian to pass this exam of the IMS in January 1855, coming second after George Marr. Subsequently, he was appointed to the covenanted medical service as Assistant Surgeon in January 1855. In 1867 he became Surgeon and in 1873, Surgeon Major to the Bengal Army.
However, public and official statements did not always reflect official sentiment and what really happened in practice.[ The years leading up to his professorship witnessed social and unofficial prejudices,][ resulting in a series of fleeting positions as Professor of Materia Medica,] a permanent position only being granted in 1866 after Norman Chevers
Norman Chevers (1818–1886) was an English physician and surgeon of the Bengal Medical Service. He is known for research on constrictive pericarditis.
Life
He was born at Greenhithe in Kent, the son of the naval surgeon Forbes Macbean Chevers ...
had retired. Chuckerbutty was the first Indian to have this position.[ Preconceptions also arose from Indians. The social stigma from dissecting a corpse and travelling abroad counted him an outcast for much of the Indian community.]
Medical contributions
He published notes on a case of epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
in the ''Medical Times and Gazette'', London, in 1852, whilst he was assistant physician at the CMH.
His writings in the 1850s show he was also a Nationalist and he campaigned to structure and extend education among Indians, particularly to introduce gymnasiums and sports including cricket and fencing to the Indian youth. He lobbied for education in languages and traditional studies, and proposed improved sanitation in Calcutta. His articles on dysentery and cholera were published in the ''Indian Annals''.
In his lecture dated 8 July 1858, more than a year before Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
's release of ''On the Origin of Species
''On the Origin of Species'' (or, more completely, ''On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life''),The book's full original title was ''On the Origin of Species by Me ...
'', Chukerbutty commented; "When God made some men dark and other men fair, he had a great purpose to serve. He did not make climates for men, but men for climates". Both, had been mentored and influenced by the same teacher (Professor Grant), raising the question of whether Chuckerbutty had spoken about evolution first.
19th century British medicine in India had its concerns with India’s many febrile illnesses and epidemics and some leading physicians disputed the existence of typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure.
...
in India. Chuckerbutty, however, was one who believed otherwise and reported on cases of typhus in Calcutta that he had treated in 1864.
In addition to leading roles in a number of Calcutta's hospitals and dispensaries, he published in the ''Medical Times and Gazette'', ''the Lancet'', the ''British Medical Journal'', the ''Indian Medical Gazette'' and the ''Indian Annals of Medical Science of Calcutta''. He also edited the fourth edition of Goodeve's '' Hints on Children in India''.
Other roles
In 1863, he was appointed Fellow of the Calcutta University
The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...
and he became a Justice of the Peace for the town of Calcutta in the same year. With the coloured elite and a group of liberal white men, he co-founded the Bethune Society in 1851, and also co-founded the Bengal Branch of the British Medical Association, becoming its president for one year.[
In 1870, he published a collection of his lectures from the previous two decades, "Popular Lectures on Subjects of Indian Interest", following the ]Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
and which reflected his changed opinion and criticism of European interest. In the same publication, he advocated educating Indians and he also disclosed that at least two ex-students of CMC had joined the sepoys in the Indian Rebellion.
Family
Chuckerbuty married Sarah and had four sons and two daughters.
Sarah died in 1878. Of the six children that are known, Henry Scott Ryan became a Barrister, practised at the Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It is located in B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court buildi ...
and in 1902, co-authored a book on becoming a Barrister.
William Maurice attended the University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
to study science and was the father of the famous pianist Oliphant Chuckerbutty
Soorjo Alexander William Langobard Oliphant Chuckerbutty (6 October 1884 – 5 September 1960), also known as Wilson Oliphant, was an English organist and composer, who was equally well known as a church organist and a cinema organist.
Life and ...
. Alfred joined the Indian Civil Service
The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947.
Its members ruled over more than 300 million ...
in 1889 and Marie Ann studied at the University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. Another daughter to be educated in England was Martha.
Death and legacy
Chuckerbuty suffered from multiple asthma attacks
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coug ...
and suspected heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
, and therefore took a leave from work in 1874. However, he died the same year in Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
, aged 48,[''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837–1915''] and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...
in West London.[Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty: Sowing the seeds of change for generations to come.](_blank)
Abhiroop Sengupta, ''Asian Voice'', 12 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
At the CMC, he was succeeded by R. C. Chandra.
Selected publications
*.
*
"Cases illustrative of the Pathology of Dysentery"
Military Orphan Press, Calcutta, 1865.
"Cholera, its symptoms, clinical history, pathology, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prophylaxis"
R. C. Lepage and Co, Calcutta, 1867.
*
*
''Popular Lectures on Subjects of Indian Interest''
Thomas S. Smith, Calcutta, 1870.
*
References
Further reading
Transactions Of The Bengal Social Science Association Vol. 5, 6
Notes on Books
''The British Medical Journal'' (1870)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chuckerbutty, Soorja Coomar Goodeve
1820s births
1874 deaths
Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata
Medical doctors from Kolkata
19th-century Indian medical doctors
Indian Medical Service officers
University of Calcutta alumni
Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
Soorjo
History of surgery