|pM?t THE JEYPOOR MEDICAL SCHOOL.
TO THE EDITOR OP THE
"
INDIAN MEDICAL
GAZETTE."
Sir,?Iii the last number of the Indian Medical Gazette there is an article headed " Progress in Jeypoor," in which you have censured, in pretty strong terms, the proposal to abolish the " Medical School" it should have Jeypoor Medical Institutions. been, as, so far as I am aware, "no idea has at present been entertained for the abolition of the Maternity Charity." As my name has been mentioned by you, in connection with the abolition of the .School, iu such a manner as is calculated to mislead those who are not " well acquainted with Jeypoor, and with the Medical Institutions founded there by the present Residency Surgeon, Dr. Burr," I shall feel obliged by your giving me an opportunity for correcting the errors into which your informant has led you. In that article you said that you had at one time felt confident that I would have used the influence that 1 possessed " in preventing the abolition of the Medical Institutions, in instead of weakening, the hands of Dr. Burr;" that strengthening, I would " have been only too glad to have shared the labors of teaching with Dr. Burr; and that the cause of medical education in the Jeypoor territories would have been more warmly supported than everand then you add :?"We fear that we have been mistaken. The Medical Institutions are abolished to make room for a School of Arts, and no one who has influence with the Maharajah speaks a word in their behalf." Now, Sir, in point of fact, you had not been mistaken in supposing that I would have used my influence in the various ways pointed out by you. I did offer to share the labors of teaching with Dr. Burr in the Medical School, and had made considerable progress in the preparation of a course of lectures, when circumstances occurred which none more than myself deplored, and which not only prevented me from delivering them, hut from giving that direct and personal assistance to Dr. Burr in all his schemes which I had hoped to be able to do. For months prior to the receipt by the Durbar of theletter from the Governor-General in Council, in which the abolition of the Jeypoor Medical School was first hinted at, I had, along with several others, been engaged in drawing up a scheme for the consolidation of, not only the Medical School, but of all the educational institutions of the Raj, increasing their numbers, and greatly extending their usefulness. The communication from the Governor-General in Council to which I have referred was received by the Durbar during my absence from Jeypoor; and it was not until several weeks after my return that I was informed of the circumstance. There and then I strongly disapproved of the step, and argued that even although the school, after six or seven years' existence, and at a cost to the Raj of Rs. 50,000, had only sent out seven native doctors, yet. rather than altogether undo the work of so many years, the school, if necessary, should now be placed upon such a footing as would ensure to it a moderate amount of success, adding the influence of such an institution should not be measured merely by the number of native doctors it educated; and such were the views I invariably expressed whenever the subject was discussed in my presence. Therefore, Sir, I am at a loss to understand how you could possibly say that "no one who has influence with the Maharajah speaks a word in their behalf." Your correspondent " Observator" (whom I should be very " to believe is well acquainted with Jeypoor and the Medsorry ical Institutions established by Dr. Burr") says he has read " (where?) that the Medical School and Maternity Charity are about to be abolished in Jeypoor, as the Maharajah was now addressing himself to what he considered a more important educational object, being the establishment of a School of Arts." It is not within the province of this communication to enter into the reasons, numerous and most worthy of consideration the as they are, that induced the Governor-General in Council, '* new members of the " old Musahibat," the members of the Royal Council." and His Highness 'the,Maharajah, to recommend and decide on the abolition of the Medical School. But this I can assure " Observator," that the theory he has " read" is entirely without foundation, and is lor that very
Apeil 1,
1868."]
NOTICES OF BOOKS.
reason
a most consistent introduction to many of the other very remarkable statements contained in his letter.* I remain, yours truly, Colin C. Valentine. Camp Shicka\fatty, March 10th.
*
V> e only learnt, after our last issue had been published, that the Maternity Institution was to bs spared. We are glad to learn that Dr. Valentine did " speak a word in favor" of
the School. That he has done so unsuccessfully does not in the least, alter opinion as to the abolition of the School; it merely shows that he is not one of those '? who has inlluence with the Maha Kajah" in the matter.?Ed., I, M. G. our
93
TO THE EDITOR OP THE
"
INDIAN MEDICAL
GAZETTE."
Sir,?Iii the last number of the Indian Medical Gazette there is an article headed " Progress in Jeypoor," in which you have censured, in pretty strong terms, the proposal to abolish the " Medical School" it should have Jeypoor Medical Institutions. been, as, so far as I am aware, "no idea has at present been entertained for the abolition of the Maternity Charity." As my name has been mentioned by you, in connection with the abolition of the .School, iu such a manner as is calculated to mislead those who are not " well acquainted with Jeypoor, and with the Medical Institutions founded there by the present Residency Surgeon, Dr. Burr," I shall feel obliged by your giving me an opportunity for correcting the errors into which your informant has led you. In that article you said that you had at one time felt confident that I would have used the influence that 1 possessed " in preventing the abolition of the Medical Institutions, in instead of weakening, the hands of Dr. Burr;" that strengthening, I would " have been only too glad to have shared the labors of teaching with Dr. Burr; and that the cause of medical education in the Jeypoor territories would have been more warmly supported than everand then you add :?"We fear that we have been mistaken. The Medical Institutions are abolished to make room for a School of Arts, and no one who has influence with the Maharajah speaks a word in their behalf." Now, Sir, in point of fact, you had not been mistaken in supposing that I would have used my influence in the various ways pointed out by you. I did offer to share the labors of teaching with Dr. Burr in the Medical School, and had made considerable progress in the preparation of a course of lectures, when circumstances occurred which none more than myself deplored, and which not only prevented me from delivering them, hut from giving that direct and personal assistance to Dr. Burr in all his schemes which I had hoped to be able to do. For months prior to the receipt by the Durbar of theletter from the Governor-General in Council, in which the abolition of the Jeypoor Medical School was first hinted at, I had, along with several others, been engaged in drawing up a scheme for the consolidation of, not only the Medical School, but of all the educational institutions of the Raj, increasing their numbers, and greatly extending their usefulness. The communication from the Governor-General in Council to which I have referred was received by the Durbar during my absence from Jeypoor; and it was not until several weeks after my return that I was informed of the circumstance. There and then I strongly disapproved of the step, and argued that even although the school, after six or seven years' existence, and at a cost to the Raj of Rs. 50,000, had only sent out seven native doctors, yet. rather than altogether undo the work of so many years, the school, if necessary, should now be placed upon such a footing as would ensure to it a moderate amount of success, adding the influence of such an institution should not be measured merely by the number of native doctors it educated; and such were the views I invariably expressed whenever the subject was discussed in my presence. Therefore, Sir, I am at a loss to understand how you could possibly say that "no one who has influence with the Maharajah speaks a word in their behalf." Your correspondent " Observator" (whom I should be very " to believe is well acquainted with Jeypoor and the Medsorry ical Institutions established by Dr. Burr") says he has read " (where?) that the Medical School and Maternity Charity are about to be abolished in Jeypoor, as the Maharajah was now addressing himself to what he considered a more important educational object, being the establishment of a School of Arts." It is not within the province of this communication to enter into the reasons, numerous and most worthy of consideration the as they are, that induced the Governor-General in Council, '* new members of the " old Musahibat," the members of the Royal Council." and His Highness 'the,Maharajah, to recommend and decide on the abolition of the Medical School. But this I can assure " Observator," that the theory he has " read" is entirely without foundation, and is lor that very
Apeil 1,
1868."]
NOTICES OF BOOKS.
reason
a most consistent introduction to many of the other very remarkable statements contained in his letter.* I remain, yours truly, Colin C. Valentine. Camp Shicka\fatty, March 10th.
*
V> e only learnt, after our last issue had been published, that the Maternity Institution was to bs spared. We are glad to learn that Dr. Valentine did " speak a word in favor" of
the School. That he has done so unsuccessfully does not in the least, alter opinion as to the abolition of the School; it merely shows that he is not one of those '? who has inlluence with the Maha Kajah" in the matter.?Ed., I, M. G. our
93
