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James Ranald Martin

January 01, 1970

Sir James Ranald Martin (12 May 1796 – 27 November 1874)[1] was a British military surgeon in Colonial India who worked in the service of the Honourable East India Company and was instrumental in publicising the effects of deforestation, and finding links between human and environmental health.

James Ranald Martin

Early life edit

Born in the Isle of Skye in one of the oldest families living on the island, his father was Rev. Donald Martin and his mother was the daughter of Norman Macdonald and sister of Lieut-Gn. Sir John Macdonald. Martin was educated at St George's and Windmill Street School. He became a C.C.S. in 1811 and entered the Bengal Medical Service on 5 September 1817. He obtained commission of assistant-surgeon through the interest of his uncle, Sir John MacDonald, the Adjutant-General to the Forces.[2]

Work edit

He reached India at the port of Calcutta in June 1817 by ship, the Lord Hungerford, and reported for duty with the Bengal service on 2 December 1817.[2]

In 1818 he served the British Army's 17th (Leicestershire) and 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) regiments of foot, which formed the garrison of Fort William in Calcutta. Here he came to see the effect of cholera. He was then sent to Orissa where a malignant fever had prevailed and destroyed more than half the inhabitants of Ganjam.[2] He saw action in a number of military engagements during the 1820s. The most notable of these was the First Burmese War from 1823 to 1826. His war experiences, especially the fact that diseases affected the natives and the Europeans differently, led him to believe that mapping of the medical features of the empire in much the same way as topography was critical for military and economic development. His notes on the medical topography of Calcutta pioneered a genre of works that explored linkages between climate, public health and development. He was made the President of the East India Company's medical board in 1843. In 1856, he substantially re-wrote and extended the then well-known treatise on diseases in the tropics, Influence of Tropical Climates originally authored by James Johnson.[3] He was also appointed as a member of the Sanitary Commission and contributed to the report of the Commission published in 1863.

Smallpox vaccinations had been started in India around 1803, well before his arrival but Martin was the first major advocate of preventive medicine. He proposed in 1835 that Company medical officers should collect statistics of places so that they could be collated for study.[4] His pioneering report[5] on the need for public health measures and the universal provision of clean water in Calcutta in 1836 called for a whole series of medico-topographical reports on India by the medical service. During the Burma War, a number of his colleagues in the Medical Department of the Bengal Army wrote topographies of Rakhine State, and in the following years other Company surgeons began to follow suit, producing detailed medical surveys of their town or district. The Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta, of which Martin was a prominent member, and its counterparts in other presidencies, encouraged the publication of such reports in their transactions. Many of these reports[6] spoke about the rapid rates of deforestation since the early 1820s. Such reports were instrumental in institutionalization of forest conservation activities in British India through the establishment of Forest Departments and the Indian Forest Service.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Riddick, D. J. F. (2006) The History of British India: A Chronology Greenwood Publishing Group, p 216 ISBN 0-313-32280-5
  2. ^ a b c Biographical sketch in the London Lancet
  3. ^ Harrison, M. (1992) Tropical Medicine in Nineteenth-Century India The British Journal for the History of Science 25:3, p.302
  4. ^ Hume Jr., John Chandler (1986) Colonialism and Sanitary Medicine: The Development of Preventive Health Policy in the Punjab, 1860 to 1900. Modern Asian Studies. 20(4):703-724.
  5. ^ Martin, R. (1836) The sanitary conditions of Calcutta
  6. ^ Stebbing, E.P (1922)The forests of India vol. 1, pp. 72–81

Sources edit

  • Grove, R. H. (1997) Ecology, Climate and Empire The White House Press, UK, pp. 237
  • Sir Joseph Fayrer, Life of the Inspector General Sir James Ranald Martin (London, 1897) D.N.B., 12, pp. I 165–6.

External links edit

  • The Influence of tropical climates on European constitutions (1856)
  • Mark Harrison - Knowing the country

January 01, 1970
james, ranald, martin, 1796, november, 1874, british, military, surgeon, colonial, india, worked, service, honourable, east, india, company, instrumental, publicising, effects, deforestation, finding, links, between, human, environmental, health, contents, ear. Sir James Ranald Martin 12 May 1796 27 November 1874 1 was a British military surgeon in Colonial India who worked in the service of the Honourable East India Company and was instrumental in publicising the effects of deforestation and finding links between human and environmental health James Ranald Martin Contents 1 Early life 2 Work 3 Notes 4 Sources 5 External linksEarly life editBorn in the Isle of Skye in one of the oldest families living on the island his father was Rev Donald Martin and his mother was the daughter of Norman Macdonald and sister of Lieut Gn Sir John Macdonald Martin was educated at St George s and Windmill Street School He became a C C S in 1811 and entered the Bengal Medical Service on 5 September 1817 He obtained commission of assistant surgeon through the interest of his uncle Sir John MacDonald the Adjutant General to the Forces 2 Work editHe reached India at the port of Calcutta in June 1817 by ship the Lord Hungerford and reported for duty with the Bengal service on 2 December 1817 2 In 1818 he served the British Army s 17th Leicestershire and 59th 2nd Nottinghamshire regiments of foot which formed the garrison of Fort William in Calcutta Here he came to see the effect of cholera He was then sent to Orissa where a malignant fever had prevailed and destroyed more than half the inhabitants of Ganjam 2 He saw action in a number of military engagements during the 1820s The most notable of these was the First Burmese War from 1823 to 1826 His war experiences especially the fact that diseases affected the natives and the Europeans differently led him to believe that mapping of the medical features of the empire in much the same way as topography was critical for military and economic development His notes on the medical topography of Calcutta pioneered a genre of works that explored linkages between climate public health and development He was made the President of the East India Company s medical board in 1843 In 1856 he substantially re wrote and extended the then well known treatise on diseases in the tropics Influence of Tropical Climates originally authored by James Johnson 3 He was also appointed as a member of the Sanitary Commission and contributed to the report of the Commission published in 1863 Smallpox vaccinations had been started in India around 1803 well before his arrival but Martin was the first major advocate of preventive medicine He proposed in 1835 that Company medical officers should collect statistics of places so that they could be collated for study 4 His pioneering report 5 on the need for public health measures and the universal provision of clean water in Calcutta in 1836 called for a whole series of medico topographical reports on India by the medical service During the Burma War a number of his colleagues in the Medical Department of the Bengal Army wrote topographies of Rakhine State and in the following years other Company surgeons began to follow suit producing detailed medical surveys of their town or district The Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta of which Martin was a prominent member and its counterparts in other presidencies encouraged the publication of such reports in their transactions Many of these reports 6 spoke about the rapid rates of deforestation since the early 1820s Such reports were instrumental in institutionalization of forest conservation activities in British India through the establishment of Forest Departments and the Indian Forest Service Notes edit Riddick D J F 2006 The History of British India A Chronology Greenwood Publishing Group p 216 ISBN 0 313 32280 5 a b c Biographical sketch in the London Lancet Harrison M 1992 Tropical Medicine in Nineteenth Century India The British Journal for the History of Science 25 3 p 302 Hume Jr John Chandler 1986 Colonialism and Sanitary Medicine The Development of Preventive Health Policy in the Punjab 1860 to 1900 Modern Asian Studies 20 4 703 724 Martin R 1836 The sanitary conditions of Calcutta Stebbing E P 1922 The forests of India vol 1 pp 72 81Sources editGrove R H 1997 Ecology Climate and Empire The White House Press UK pp 237 Sir Joseph Fayrer Life of the Inspector General Sir James Ranald Martin London 1897 D N B 12 pp I 165 6 External links editThe Influence of tropical climates on European constitutions 1856 Mark Harrison Knowing the country Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Ranald Martin amp oldid 1151472387, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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