Transcript

of

Surgeon-General John Wilson [Obituary]

by

W. Harpley

Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1885, Vol XVII, pp.65-66.

Prepared by Michael Steer

Surgeon-General Wilson was a career medical practitioner in India from the time of the Rebellion in the mid 1850’s until his retirement and return to Devon in 1881.  Western medicine in India dates to 1600, when the first medical officers arrived with the British East India Company's first fleet as ship's surgeons. In 1757, the Company established its rule in India, leading to the development of civil and military services. A medical department was established in Bengal in 1764 to service Company troops and servants. In 1775, Hospital Administration Boards were formed. These consisted of the Surgeon General and Physician General, who were on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Indian Army. In 1785, medical departments were established in Bengal, Madras, and Bombay presidencies with 234 surgeons. The medical departments involved both military and civil medical services. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion led to the transfer of India to the Crown and a variety of civil service departments were developed. In 1868 a separate civil medical department was formed in Bengal.  In 1896 shortly after Surgeon-General Wilson’s retirement, all three presidential medical departments were amalgamated to form the Indian Medical Services (IMS). The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Surgeon-General John Wilson was born in London, although his early life was chiefly passed at Berwick-on-Tweed. He went to India in 1850, served in his medical capacity with several regiments, and was Civil Surgeon at Jubbulpore at the time of the Indian Mutiny. Retiring in 1881, he settled at Newton Abbot, and joined the Association at the Crediton meeting in 1882. He took a lively interest in the Newton Abbot meeting last year, although then in somewhat impaired health.

He died suddenly on the 13th November following, in the 57th year of his age.