Page:A History of the Indian Medical Service, 1600-1913 Vol 1.djvu/114

This page needs to be proofread.

88 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE


procS his^S^^ ^^'"^ '^^"P^ ^P^^d^^y ^«°^<^did (since it ap- proches his Stomach) may prove of Dangerous Consequence.

" Edward Bulkley, Samuell Browne."

Edward Bulkley was serving at Pettipoli in Dec, 1682 He seems to have gone home from there. On his return to India he was appointed First Surgeon to Fort St. George, in Cons. of 29th Dec., 1692.

" Ordered that D-^ Bulkeley Chyrurgion (lately come from England) doe enter upon his charge of the Hospitall and take care of the Patients therein, and look after all the medicines and other things carefully that none be spoyled or wasted neghgently, or used for any other end or purpose but those they were intended for. And that he keep an account of all material actions, m a Book that may remayne in the Hospitall to be examined when needful or required. And Doctor Brown is to be continued a Chyrurgion here as before. And in regard of the supply of Chyrurgions from England there is not roome for the continuance of D^ Hart he is to be discharged from that Imployment and the Secretary is to acquaint him therewith."

The above extract is also given in Love's Vestiges of Old Madras, Vol. I, p. 563, where is also quoted a Despatch from England, dated i6th April, 1697, which refers to the appointment of Bulkley, also incidentally mentioning Hart and Browne, and sanctioning the appointment of a coroner at Madras in 1697. The same despatch is quoted by Love at greater length in Vol. II, p. 68, as below.

" Wlaen wee understood M"^ Heathfield was dead, and that you had entertained M'" Hart as a temporary Surgeon in his Stead, we resolved to Supply you as soon and as well as we could, and accordingly sent you, five or six years since, M^" Buckley, one who was every way very fitly qualified to serve us by his large experience of India as well as here, and as fit for prescribing Phisick as manuall operations ; and we suffered him to carry out an apprentice that so he might not Complaine of want of help. And therefore him and him only wee resolve shall receive any Sallery and allowances. . . . And in respect to him wee are willing to allow the Office of Coroner, and such perquisites therewith for sitting on the bodys of any persons that shall come to any untimely end by casuaHty or otherwise, as you shall think fitting, to be paid by the relations of the deceased, considering the poverty of the Generality of your Inhabitants. The usuall ffee here is 6s. 8d., but wee think two Rupees is sufficient where the persons are of Ability. And as for M'^ Browne, if it please God our Surgeon at the ffort, or in the Bay, or elsewhere should die, or be moved. Wee are wilhng M"^ Browne should have the first preference to such a vacancy."

On 30th Aug., 1693, Bulkley performed the post-mortem examination on Mr. Wheeler, accidentally poisoned by Surgeon