Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/558

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Dutt
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Dutton

inaccuracy (cf. S. M. Mitra, Indian Problems, London, 1908). Dutt sought to vindicate his conclusions in a new and exhaustive criticism of British agrarian and economic policy in India in two substantial volumes: ‘Economic History of British India, 1757–1837’ (1902), and ‘India in the Victorian Age’ (1904). They were brought out in a second edition under the uniform title of ‘India under Early British Rule’ (1906). A series of minor, yet cumulatively important, changes in land revenue administration, designed to protect the cultivators, were partly attributable to Dutt's representations. Prejudice disqualified him from becoming a safe guide on agrarian history, but the historian of Lord Curzon's viceroyalty admits that on the whole Dutt's agitation had beneficial results (L. Fraser's India under Curzon and After, i. pp. 154–7).

Dutt acted as lecturer on Indian history at University College, London, from 1898 to 1904, and he found time to continue his Sanskrit studies. He translated into English metre large extracts of the two great epics, the ‘Mahabharata’ and the ‘Ramayana,’ linking the excerpts together by short explanatory notes (published in the ‘Temple Classics’ 1899–1900 and subsequently in Dent's ‘Everyman's Library’). Max Müller acknowledged the value of Dutt's scheme. His versatile interests were illustrated by a volume of original poetry, ‘Reminiscences of a Workman's Life’ (Calcutta, 1896; privately printed).

While on a visit to India in 1904 Dutt was appointed revenue minister of the independent state of Baroda, and during his three years' active tenure (August 1904–July 1907) he helped on the reforms of the enlightened Gaekwar (Sayaji Rao). He was the Indian member of the royal commission on Indian decentralisation, which travelled through the country from November 1907 to the following April. He signed the report, but noted his dissent on many points of detail. With Mr. G. K. Gokhale he was unofficially consulted by Lord Morley respecting the scheme of political reforms which were promulgated in 1908–9. Returning to Baroda as prime minister in March 1909, he died there of a heart affection on 30 Nov. of that year, and was accorded a public funeral by order of the Gaekwar.

Dutt married in 1864 a daughter of Nobo Gopal Bose; a son is a barrister in practice in Calcutta, and of five daughters, three are married to native officials in government service.

[Biography by Dutt's son-in-law, J. N. Gupta, I.C.S., 1911; sketch of Dutt's career, a 4-anna (4d.) pamphlet pub. by Natesan, Madras, 1909; Indian National Congress, Natesan, Madras, 1907; Papers regarding Land Rev. System of Brit. India, 1902, Cd. 1089; Dutt's works; L. Fraser, India under Lord Curzon and After, 1911; The Times, 1 Dec. 1909; Indian Daily Telegraph, 2 Jan. 1903; Times of India Weekly, 4 Dec. 1909; personal knowledge.]

F. H. B.


DUTTON, JOSEPH EVERETT (1874–1905), biologist, born on 9 Sept. 1874 at New Chester Road, Higher Bebington, Cheshire, was fifth son of John Dutton, a retired chemist of Brookdale, Banbury, by his wife Sarah Ellen Moore. After education at King's School, Chester, from January 1888 till May 1892, he entered the University of Liverpool, whefe he gained the gold medal in anatomy and physiology, and the medal in materia medica in 1895. At the Victoria University he won the medal in pathology in 1896, graduated M.B., C.M. in 1897, and was elected Holt fellow in pathology. He then acted as house surgeon to Prof. Rushton Parker and house physician to Dr. R. Caton at the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. In 1901 he gained the Walter Myers fellowship in tropical medicine.

In 1900 he accompanied Dr. H. E. Annett and Dr. J, H. Elliott of Toronto on the third expedition of the Liverpool school of tropical medicine to southern and northern Nigeria to study the life-history and surroundings of the mosquito and generally to take measures for the prevention of malaria. Two reports were issued as a result of this expedition, one dealing with anti-malaria sanitation, the other a very complete monograph upon filariasis. In 1901 Dutton proceeded alone to Gambia on the sixth expedition of the Liverpool school of tropical medicine, and drew up a most comprehensive and useful report on the prevention of malaria. During this expedition he identified in the blood of a patient at Bathurst a trypanosome belonging to a group of animal parasites which had hitherto been found only in animals. He described it accurately and named it Trypanosoma Gambiense. He found the same organism subsequently in numerous other cases in Gambia and elsewhere. Dutton's discovery of the first trypanosome in man was an important factor in determining the cause of sleeping sickness, which was afterwards shown by other observers to be due to the same parasite. In addition to this Trypanosoma