Why British Ronald forgotten the Indian assistant?

I am holding a sword, which was gifted to Dr. P Ratnam Pillai, Subedar Major and medical assistant to the Nobel prize winner Ronald Ross in discovering the malaria parasite in Hyderabad city in 1897. Despite Pillai worked on the discover of malaria parasite collecting dapple-winged anopheles, the family members of Pillai believe his grand father was neglected by the British Ronald to highlight Pillai's contribution.

Did Britisher Ronald Ross, who received the Nobel prize in 1897 for the discovery of the malarial parasite in the Anopheles mosquito, forget to highlight the contribution of his Indian assistant Dr P Ratnam Pillai? Medical experts as well as Pillai's family members do believe so.

Pillai had assisted Ross in his research which finally led to the finding that malaria was transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. He not only drew Ross's attention to the strange type of mosquito on the walls of the room where they worked but also collected hundreds of dapple-winged anopheles from surroundings of Tank Bund and other localities in the city and presented them for Ross's observation.

"We don't know why my grand-father's contribution in discovering the malaria parasite was not highlighted. My father Charles Paupens, who has worked in three positions in the Railways in Hyderabad city as Chief Reservation Officer during the Nizam Railways, Central Railways and South central Railways, used to tell us about our grandfather's great contribution in discovering the malarial parasite,'' said 60-year-old Sheila, grand-daughter of Dr. P Ratnam Pillai.

Born in Madras in 1863, Dr. P Ratnam Pillai did his medicine from the Royapuram Medical School. He migrated to the Hyderabad at the young age in 18 century and joined the Indian Medical Service as a hospital assistant at the Military hospital, Bolaram and subsequently at the Hospital for India Army Officer's, today known as Sir Ronald Ross Institute, Begumpet.

Dr. Pillai served with Indian troops in the Burmes War, won several medals for his meritorious service and was promoted to the rank of Subedar Major' and spent his retired life in Secunderabad until his demise in 1943. Pillai's coffin was draped with the British National flag before Independence and laid to rest at Bhoiguda Cemetery in Secunderabad. 

D V Subba Reddy, who authored 'Indian Journal of the History of Medicine in 1957'has pointed out the lack of acknowledgment in his book. ``It is unfortunate that Dr. Ross forgot the name of his assistant Dr. Ratnam Pillai, who drew his attention to the new type of mosquito perched on the wall. He also brought to notice the group of the same class mosquito which were developed from Larvae hatched out in the bottle in one corner of the laboratory,” said Reddy. He also said that the Indian Medical Association should spare no pains to trace the name and ascertain the details about the life of the worthy Indian, who took a part in the great epic discovery and rescue or resuscitate him from the oblivion into which a cruel fate or official indifference has thrown him.

With tear filled eyes and toiling breath, Sheila said that her father Charles Paupens told them that Dr. Pillai  had worked helping Ross collecting mosquito dappled-winged Anopheles. He had collected the malaria parasite from surroundings of Tank Bund and other localities in the city. Displaying Pillai's bunch of medals and four feet long sword, which was used by her grand father, Sheila said that their family members have been preserving them as their key assets.

Dr. Pillai's grand sons - Samuel, who is working in the home department in the AP secretariat; Franklin who retired from the Railways and grand daughter Shirley are living in the city.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com