Reflections

One very important figure in the firmament of medical researchers in India who is today almost forgotten is Sambhu Nath De . S N De as he was popularly known was born and had his early education in the Hooghly district of present day West Bengal. The son of smalltime businessman, S N De was supported by his uncle to study and he turned out to be a brilliant student, receiving the District scholarship in his year and then went on to study at the Hooghly Mohsin College and then at the Calcutta Medical College. In his early days in Calcutta, his scholarship was not enough to support him and he was looked after by a Mr S K Sett who allowed him free board and lodging for as long as he needed it. He graduated in 1939 and then went on to do a diploma in Tropical Medicine (DTM) in 1942. He was then hired as a Demonstrator in Pathology in his alma mater and showed his mettle for research even in these early days of his career as he began doing research projects under the then Professor of Pat...

Henry Ives Hurry Goodeve was one of the doyens of the early years of the Calcutta Medical College. His work in educating Indian doctors in the early phase of the Medical College and his efforts to take a group of them to London for higher studies are fairly well known and documented. What is not so well known is his romantic nature and how, on his return to England he sought out and bought a residence that he had first eyed many years ago as an impecunious young man. Near Bristol, on the Durdham Downs is an old structure named Cooke’s Folly. This house was built in 1672 By John Cooke, who was the Civic Chamberlain of Bristol as well as the Master of the Merchant Venturers in 1691/2. This body, which still exists, was set up in 1467 and received a Royal charter in 1552 by Edward VI and this was subsequently confirmed by all succeeding monarchs including the present Elizabeth II. The society controlled the Bristol harbor in the 17th till the 19th centuries and as Bristol was a centre w...