CME INDIA Presentation by ⚜ Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, MD, Senior Assistant Professor, Dept. of General Medicine, Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.
Today’s History Feature:
Diwan Bahadur Sir Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar, FRCOG, FACS
(Oct 14, 1887 – April 15, 1974)
💠🇮🇳 Pioneer Indian Obstetrician and Gynaecologist 🇮🇳
A tale of twin brothers…
🔹Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar and Arcot Ramaswami Mudaliar were twin brothers born in a Tamil-speaking family at Kurnool (now part of Andhra Pradesh).
🔹After schooling, they moved to Chennai and joined the Madras Christian College in 1903. Then, Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar decided to study medicine, hence joined the Madras Medical College.
🔹After his medical studies, he started his career at Government Hospital for women and children at Egmore, Chennai, where he served for around 35 years.
🔹In 1934, he got appointed as the Professor of O&G at the Madras Medical College and his devoted service at the institution made him the first Indian Principal of the institution in 1939.
🔹In fact, Dr. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar was the well known Obstetrician and his book co-authored with Prof. Dr. M.K. Krishna Menon “Clinical Obstetrics” – which is popularly known as “Mudaliar Obstetrics” – is the first Indian text book on obstetrics. It guided medical students for over a generation and even today it is consider the basic book in clinical obstetrics. The book was originally published by Oliver and Boyd, UK in 1938.
🔹Furthermore, he was celebrated as “the safest midwife.” There was a famous anecdote that when Queen Elizabeth was in labour pain for long hours and couldn’t deliver, the doctors who were handling her made all efforts and finally talked to Dr. Mudaliar in Madras over phone for his advice. Of course, Dr. Mudaliar probed deeply and gave the solution.
🔹Moreover, he was the founder Fellow of the Royal college of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists in 1930 and Honorary Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1940.
🔹He was associated with the University of Madras for around 45 years. Initially, he was elected as a Senate in 1923 and served as a Vice-Chancellor for 19 years and marked a remarkable phase in the history of the university.
🔹Ultimately, his outstanding work in the field of medicine and education paved the path for his 15 Honorary Doctorates.
🔹He was also elected as the chairman of the World Health Organization’s Executive Board during 1949-50 and was the Chairman of the Executive Committee of UNESCO during 1954-56.
🔹Besides medicine, he was equally interested in politics. He served as the member of Madras Legislative Council for about 25 years.
🔹In order to appreciate his meritorious services in the field of medicine and politics, he was given many honours from both the British and the Post-freedom Indian Government. He was Knighted in the year 1945 and awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1963.
🔹His brother, Sir Arcot Ramaswami Mudaliar was a lawyer, politician and served as a Dewan of Mysore and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Travancore. He was instrumental in the formation of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR).
🔹Certainly, Sir Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar was an excellent teacher, educationalist, politician, administrator and moreover one of the greatest Obstetrician and Gynaecologist of his time.
A Day to Commemorate….
🇮🇳A Great Visionary🇮🇳
Sir Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar🙏🏼
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Very nice and readable article.
Much appreciated…..
Sri. Modaliar sir did visit. Bellary .VV sangha had applief for veerashiva college at. Bellary . He personally visited the college. he was shown. the building near S G High School.He was promised a new college will be built in 90 acre land alloted by Madras govt.so affiliation was granted. Bellary people thank him. He was. vice chancellor of. Madras university
Shudra Vellazhan slave became landholder in later British period after serving as Devadasi for British Officials – the Sudra Mudalis work as coolie labourers in places like Ariyalur and Cuddalore.Cuddalore Padayatchis hire low class sudra labourers like these Vellalas to clean their homes.
A.Lakshmanasamy was the first Indian to be appointed as the Dean of the Madras Medical College.
A.L.Mudaliar was an architect also. The Centenary Building and Graduation Building at Chennai University Campus and the Pachaiyappas College Building at Chetput, Chennai were planned. designed and constructed under the supervision of Mudaliar.
When Rajaji, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu introduced Kula Kalvi, that is half day school and half day fathers work for students, A,L,Mudaliar , then, Chairman of the Madras Legislative Assembly, questioned what about the children below 10-15 years and girl students who do not do their fathers work. .
When Students of the Usmania University became unrest and agitated , Nehru reauested Mudliar to study and give a Report on the situation. Mudaliar submited a Report which was known as Mudaliar Committee Report. According to the solution given in the Report, the problem was solved.
He had a strong belief in the Unani system of medicine also.
He was the Chairman of the Scouts movement in Tamil Nadu.
A.L. was the Vice Chancellor of Madras University for 27 years. (1942 to 1969)
-Natesan KAILASAM, Biographer, Arcot Twins.
Dr Sir Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar twin brother of Dr Sir Arcot Ramaswami Mudaliar were great twins of India with global reputation. Sir AL was an educationist,Vice Chancellor of Madras University for nine terms of 27 years elected by senators and distingusihed professorial faculty. He was first Indian Principal of Madras Medical College, oldest in India. He was also elected Member of the Madras Legislative Council and Leader of the opposition party.
Sir Arcot Ramaswami Mudaliar,was a Lawyer, first General Secretary of the Justice Party (South Indian Liberal Federation) in 1917 in the Madras Presidency, Member of the War Cabinet of Sir Winston Churchil in Britain (1939-45), First and Second Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, as its Founder Signatory. In this capacity he played aprominent role in creating the World Bank, IMF, etc He was Member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, Dewan of Mysore, and later years was innovator of Industrialisation of Madras Presidency. He was twice President of the Madras Corporation. The statue of GREAt TWINS must be in the Ripon Buildings of Madras/Chennai Corporation.
It’s time to understand and realised that whole knowledge of medical and paramedical science emerges from Bhartiya Advait literature and ancient sanatan rishi muni knowledge