Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta

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Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta
AbbreviationMPSC
Formation1823;200 years ago (1823)
Headquarters Calcutta

The Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta was a society of British officials, mostly physicians, formed on March 1, 1823. The society published a quarterly journal [1] and met at the Asiatic Society. [2] The journal published articles on diseases prevailing in India and their links with environment and sanitation. Prominent members included Sir James Ranald Martin who was instrumental in publishing medico-topographical reports of British India and establishing links between environment and health, and deforestation [3] and William Brooke O'Shaughnessy, who published one of the first medical uses of marijuana in the journal of the society. [4] There are few records of the journal after 1857.

The society was also referred to as Medical and Physical Society of Bengal and Calcutta Medical and Physical Society. [5]

Notable members

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References

  1. Scudder, S. H. (1879) Catalogue of scientific serials of all countries, including the transactions of learned societies in the natural, physical and mathematical sciences, 1633-1876. Oxford University. p.253 Online digitised version at Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University (Version June 2004)
  2. At First in Calcutta Website
  3. Grove, R. H. (1997) Ecology, Climate and Empire The White House Press, UK, pp. 237 ISBN   1-874267-18-9
  4. O'Shaughnessy, W.B. (1839) Case of Tetanus, Cured by a Preparation of Hemp (the Cannabis indica.), Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Bengal 8, 1838-40, 462-469 Available online Archived 2008-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Record of the Society from Scholarly Societies Project Website Archived 2008-07-04 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "This week's Obituary". British Medical Journal . 1 (1799): 1395. 22 June 1895. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.1799.1395. PMC   2510234 .