Madras Medical College Alumni

Its third year ward party in 1969. Many batches combined

Sitting from left to right

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Prof S Vittal. Vijayalakshmi

Usha Sivaraj

Jusbir

Prof Hariharan

Usha Menon

Dr Kamalakar Rao

Standing first row

From left to right

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Sridhar

V Pari

Palanisamy

John Annaratnam

Gandhi

Shyamakrishnan

S Selvakumar

A K Etnhirajan..

Top row

From left to right

P V Prasad

C D Natarajan

K Dayanidhi

Rajagopal

Doctors without borders

A story of friendship, studying medicine, and an old Madras college

After stumbling upon a tweet about a few doctors from Madras Medical College’s batch of 1951 celebrating a birthday, I decided to visit these 90-plus-year-old doctors settled in different parts of Chennai, for a walk into the past.

Some of the first women students of MMC, Mary Ann Dacombe Scharlieb, S Mitchell, D White, and M Beale, graduated in the 1870s, and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, the first Indian woman to get a medical degree from MMC, passed out of the college in 1912. As a college that documents a legacy older than Indian independence, there should be better archives for the same. Despite societal discouragement towards women pursuing Medicine, Madras Medical College still proudly boasts about their lady doctors who went on to become pioneers in many fields like Dr. Ayyathan Janaki Ammal, Dr. T. S. Kanaka, and Captain Lakshmi Sahgal, while also playing an important role in women’s empowerment since the pre-Independence period.

Dr Prashanth S IAS 2024 Batch

Secured AIR 78 UPSC Civil Services 2023

MMC UG 2016 Batch (Johnstone Medalist)

India Book of Records Holder with maximum number of gold medals (40) in MBBS across the World

National Convenor Indian Medical Association Medicos Wing (2022)

M. M. C. STUDENTS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 1984-85

Old picture of NCC in MMC

An Anatomy Block Mystery at Madras Medical College

Last Sunday saw the Madras Red Fort Doctors Foundation meet online. This is a group of alumni of the Madras Medical College and the Red Fort indicates their love for the old Anatomy Block of their alma mater. This red brick structure, which is best viewed from the Sir T Muthuswami Iyer Bridge, has been known among MMC students for long as the Red Fort.

More Q than A on the Anatomy Block at MMC

While the purpose of the meeting was to pay homage to Prof MM Cooper, for many years the Professor of Anatomy at the MMC, I was asked to say a few words by way of introduction, about the history of the anatomy block itself. And having accepted the invite and then begun my search for information, I found I came away with more questions than answers.

An American Account

By far the most cogent account of the way the MMC buildings developed is in an article dated November 26, 1904, written by Nicholas Senn, MD, Chicago for the Journal of the American Medical Association. The college began in 1835 and the first lectures were held in rooms adjoining the quarters of the Surgeon General of the General Hospital. The college got its own building a year later and this comprised four rooms – a library, a museum, a lecture hall that doubled as an operating theatre, and a laboratory. There was a major expansion in 1867. Then in 1883, a separate anatomy block was created with a theatre and a dissecting room. To this, an enlarged museum was added in 1887/88. Senn concludes by stating that ‘separate buildings for biologic and hygienic laboratories were added’ though he does not say when this was done.

But who designed the Anatomy Block?

From the above, it is safe to conclude that the anatomy block was in existence by 1883. However, in their book, Madras The Architectural Heritage, K Kalpana and Frank Schiffer record the date of construction as 1897. And certainly, some of the architectural features, most notably the crenelations on the roofline and the tiny domes at the corners, show a lot of commonalities with Moore Market, which came up a couple of years later. And so, was it 1885 or 1897? And then, who was the architect? It certainly does not seem to be the work of either RF Chisholm or Henry Irwin. Going by its similarities with Moore Market, I would hazard that it was RE Ellis, who was in the 1890s Superintending Engineer, Government of Madras. A bust of the man still stands in the garden of the Government Museum, Egmore.

Where does the year 1907 come in?

I then came across yet another conundrum. In their book Kalpana and Schiffer add that the high ceilings of the first-floor rest on iron columns which bear the year stamp 1907, which they say ‘was the probable date of the building’. I find this incompatible both in terms of what is written earlier by the same authors and also in terms of architectural style. No doubt there must be files in the Tamil Nadu Archives with all the answers and till some indefatigable researcher pulls them out we must rest with conjectures.

From Anatomy Block to Red Fort to Museum

The alumni are most concerned about their Red Fort. Some grand announcements were made in 2016 about how it was to become a museum but there has been little action. The functioning departments were transferred to the new multi-storeyed building on the erstwhile premises of the Central Prison. Red Fort has been left empty. No heritage building likes being abandoned. It is usually the beginning of the end. One more museum is not the answer. The building needs to be put to use functionally to ensure survival.

Prof Andanan was Prof of Physiology in MMC for in 1968

It is nice of to preserve and forward tribute to our great Physiology Professor Andanan.

Life time Achievement

Jayapal (MMC 1965)
Award presented to Dr. J. K. PERIASAMY(JKP)

MMC1965 Batch At CHENNAI For HIS professional Work

IT-M unveils portraits of pioneers of medical research

Same spot , same gang , 40 years apart ( 1983 / 2023) bond was stronger ..

Dr A.V.Srinivasan has been selected as the winner of the 2024 General Neurology Award in USA

It will be given to Dr.A.V.Srinuvasan in the AAN MEETING IN APRIL 2024 in DENVER COLARADO USA

AAN COMUNICATION

On behalf of the American Academy of Neurology and the General Neurology Award selection workgroup, I am honored to inform you that Dr A.V.Srinivasan has been selected as the winner2024 General Neurology Award!

The selection workgroup was impressed with his contributions to general neurology, his community, and his dedication to neurology education.

As the award recipient, Dr A.V.S will receive a $1,000 honorarium as well as recognition at a brief ceremony at the 2024 AAN Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, and in AAN member publications.

Dr A.V.SRINIVASAN

Dr.A.V.S. Neurologist

Early decades of Madras Medical College: Apothecaries

The Government at Fort St George determined that a school for instructing and training candidates towards the titles of 'apothecary' was necessary to improve medical help to people in the 1830s. This led to the establishment of the medical school in Madras (presently Chennai) in 1835. The school got renamed as the Madras Medical College in 1850. From 1835, the Madras Medical School offered formal training to personnel to be called either 'apothecaries' or 'dressers' under the superintendence of William Mortimer, who was assisted by George Harding in teaching at the school. Apothecary D'Beaux and Dresser P. S. Muthuswami Mudaliar were subordinate assistants. These apothecaries were recruited essentially under the Subordinate Medical Service of Madras, which was established in 1812 and included non-commissioned medical servants. The Madras apothecaries launched the Madras Apothecaries Society in 1864, which aimed at promoting and advancing medical science and knowledge. This society existed until 1871. Formal training of apothecaries ceased in Madras by the later decades of the 19th century, although informal training continued, especially for army cadets and women. Establishment of medical schools in Royapuram (which developed as the Stanley Medical College and Hospital), Tanjavur and Madurai, in the early decades of the 20th century and the 'branch' of Madras Medical College in Calicut during the Second World War changed the complexion of training of medical personnel immensely in pre- 1947 Madras Presidency. The Royapuram and other Medical Schools in Madras trained medical practitioners granting the title 'Licensed Medical Practitioner' (LMP). Whether the apothecary-dresser training at the 'old' Madras Medical College had a role to play in these developments remains to be verified.

Strapped for cash, University of Madras unable to manage hostels

CHENNAI: University of Madras on Monday fell into a real predicament as it realised all its hostel bank accounts have been frozen by the Income Tax (I-T) department. Varsity authorities alleged that they have no money to operate the campus hostels now as the I-T department is tightening its noose around the university day by day.

“How will we feed the students in the hostels? As all the accounts are frozen and we don’t have a single rupee in hand to manage the hostels, “ said a hostel official, adding that the I-T department’s action is unfair. “The money deposited in the hostels’ account is not our earnings. It’s the money paid by students towards their lodging expenses,” said another official.

According to sources, the university has 7 hostels, which accommodate around 2,000 students. On average, the university needs `3 lakh per day to keep the hostels operational.

Sources said that the university authorities are contemplating taking loans to run the hostels. “As we can’t leave the students hungry, we will take a loan to manage the hostels. However, the loan will only add to our financial burden as we are already cash-strapped,” said an official.

Meanwhile, a team of varsity officials again met the I-T department on Monday, seeking relief on the issue. By the time of filing this report, discussion among the officials was still on. According to sources, the varsity has been apprised of the problems they face with the higher education secretary and state government.

“Hopefully, the state government will intervene in the matter and we will get relief. Otherwise, how we will pay a tax of `424 crore to the Income tax department,” asked a professor of the university.

Officials added that they will also have a discussion with the TNEB officials to get the last day to clear the bill extended.

SOURCE: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2024/Feb/13/strapped-for-cash-university-of-madras-unable-to-manage-hostels

List of doctors at the Madras medical college in 1918.

I.M.S. OFFICERS (E. C.) TRAINING CENTER

MMC 1970 Batch