Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta

Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta
AbbreviationMPSC
Formation1823; 201 years ago (1823)
HeadquartersCalcutta

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]

  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