Wongsa Dhiraj Snid (; 9 July 1808 – 14 August 1871) was a Thai physician and diplomat, as well as a member of the reigning Chakri dynasty. An early adopter of Western-style medicine, he was the

court physician A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accorda ...

for much of his life, and was known as the "Doctor Prince."

Early life and family

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid was born in 1808, the 49th son of King Rama II of Siam, and given the title of ''Phra Ong Chao Nawama''.Harper, Tim, Amrith, Sunil G
"Histories of Health in Southeast Asia"
pp. 23-26 His maternal grandparents were both traditional medical practitioners who served as

s during his father's reign. He was the half-brother of both Prince Thap, the future King

Rama III Nangklao ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว, ; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), birth name Thap ( th, ทับ), also styled Rama III, was the third king of Siam u ...

, some twenty years his senior, and Prince Mongkut, the future King

Rama IV Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibo ...

.Steensma, David P., Viprakasit, Vip, Kyle, Robert A., and Shampo, Marc A
"Prince Wongsa Dhiraj Snid-Thai Physician and Diplomat"
Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Nov; 87(11): e93. Following Thai tradition, Wongsa Dhiraj Snid spent much of his early life learning statecraft, administration, and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

teachings. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk as a young man. During his time as a monk, he was mentored by an uncle, Paramanuchitchinorot, the future Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. It is believed (though not known for certain) that he served an apprenticeship to learn traditional Thai medicine as well.

Medical practice

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid followed the footsteps of his maternal family and became a physician, serving as the royal physician during the reigns of Rama III and Rama IV. He was first appointed chief of the Department of Royal Physicians at the age of 34. Though he was trained in traditional Thai medicine, he quickly adopted more Western forms of practice. He compiled a textbook of Thai medicinal herbs in a scientific style, and was the first Thai physician to utilize

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to '' Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal le ...

in the treatment of malaria. He was granted honorary membership by a number of medical societies in both Europe and the United States.

Diplomacy and war

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid's court duties were not confined to the practice of medicine; he also served as a diplomat and even a field commander. During the Burmese–Siamese War (1849–55), he led the Siamese forces that attacked

Kengtung th , เชียงตุง , other_name = Kyaingtong , settlement_type = Town , imagesize = , image_caption = , pushpin_map = Myanmar , pushpin_label_position = left , ...

in 1854. He was one of the five Thai plenipotentiaries sent to negotiate the

Bowring Treaty The Bowring Treaty was a treaty signed between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Siam on 18 April 1855. The treaty had the primary effect of liberalizing foreign trade in Siam, and was signed by five Siamese plenipotentiaries (among them Wo ...

with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1855. He was also among the signatories of the

Harris Treaty Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle ...

between Siam and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

the following year. "Treaties and Conventions Concluded Between the United States of America and Other Powers Since July 4, 1776"

Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO; formerly the United States Government Printing Office) is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. The office produces and distributes information ...

Legacy

The descendants of Wongsa Dhiraj Snid took the name of Sanidwongse (sometimes spelled Sanidvongse, Snidvongs, or other variants). Several of his descendants, like him, served as royal physicians in Thailand. On the 200th anniversary of his birth in 2008, he was honored by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

as a "Great World Personality", the 17th Thai to be so honored,UNESCO Bangkok Newsletter
pg. 7 and in 2009 he was featured on a Thai postage stamp. Among his notable descendants are Queen

Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wif ...

and her son King Rama X of Thailand, along with several other members of the Thai royal family, and prominent surgeon

Kalyanakit Kitiyakara Mom Rajawongse Kalyanakit Kitiyakara ( th, กัลยาณกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 1929 - 1987) was a Thai cardiothoracic surgeon 1808 births 1871 deaths 19th-century Thai physicians Thai diplomats 19th-century Chakri dynasty Thai male Phra Ong Chao Sons of kings