Vaidya Rathnam Captain G Srinivasa Murthy
Date of Birth: : March 26, 1887
Place of Birth: Village of Haltore, Gorur (in the Northern banks of the river Hemavathi- a tributary of Kaveri) in the Hassan District of the Old Mysore State.
Details of family: : His father was Gorur Pattabhi Ramaswamy Iyengar and mother was Gorur Rangamma Ramaswamy Iyengar. His father was a Sanskrit scholar and village accountant (Shanubhog) and was also a Member of the Representative Assembly of the old Mysore state for 18 years. Dr. Srinivasa Murthy was married to Smt. Sringarammal (1892-1997), daughter of Bharthur Venkatachar and had 8 children– five sons and three daughters.
Educational Qualifications:
Captain G Srinivasa Murthy had his primary and middle school education at Gorur village. He took his B. A degree from Central College at Bangalore (1905), an MB & CM degree from Madras Medical College, a degree in Law (B.L) and also a Diploma in Sanitary Engineering. Srinivasa Murthy was a Sanskrit scholar who did not study Sanskrit at school but was self-taught and became proficient in Sanskrit.
Professional Trajectory:-
As a clinician:- Dr. G Srinivasa Murthy’s professional legacy started with his joining in the State Medical Service in 1912. He served in various posts as an Instructor at the Government Medical School, Tanjavur, Instructor at the Government Medical School, Royapuram, Madras, Lecturer in Surgery, at Madras Medical College, Assistant Professor of Biology and Medical Jurisprudence, Assistant District Surgeon, at South Arcot District, Cuddalore. In 1917, when World War I was started, he was commissioned as Captain in the Indian Medical Service (IMS) of the Army. He served in various military hospitals at Lahore, Kohat, Ahmednagar, and Pune and he got himself reverted to civilian service in Madras Presidency in 1921.
As a policy maker:- Dr. Murthy was a member of the committee formed under the chairmanship of Sir Mohammad Usman (Usman Committee) to report on the question of recognition and encouragement of the Indigenous systems of Medicine. As a part of this, he studied the theory and practice of Indian Medicine at first-hand from the most learned and authoritative exponents all over India and presented a memorandum titled ‘The Science & The Art of Indian Medicine’ to the committee. This memorandum paved the way for starting a medical institution to develop Indian Systems of Medicine at Madras. The School of Indian Medicine was thus founded in 1925 at Kilpauk with Dr Srinivasa Murthy as its first Principal and In charge of the hospital attached to it. He therefore, after careful study and practice evolved a system containing the best of both – Ayurveda and Allopathy. It was named as Integral system. The school of Indian Medicine imparted instructions in the Allopathic system of Medicine with Indian systems of medicine where the diagnosis and treatment of diseases were discussed according to the principles of both systems. The school offered a Diploma in LIM and Post Graduate degree in Indian Medicine (HPIM- Higher Proficiency in Indian Medicine).
As an academician:- Dr. Srinivasa Murthy was the founder principal of Indian Medical School and worked there for many years. He was a dedicated teacher and any subject at any time used to be at his fingertips. Dr. Murthy used to describe the remedy for each disease in each system of medicine and as a physician, he took his profession as a prayer and his love and sympathy for others were immense and deep. His love for his students was enormous and considered them as his own children. Many students under him became famous practitioners of the Integral system and brought luster to this ancient science of medicine.
As an administrator:- Dr. Murthy held various positions as President and Secretary of Adyar Lodge, Treasurer and Recording Secretary of the International Headquarters of Theosophical Society. He was the Director of the Adyar Library for twenty years from 1934 to 1954. He was an excellent administrator and he developed the library to one of the foremost Indological institutions. It was during the period of his Directorship that the Adyar Library Bulletin (Brahmavidya) was started. The Adyar Library and Research Centre which have the reputation of being one of the best libraries in the East so far as Sanskrit works are concerned owe much to Captain G Srinivasa Murthy.
Other honorary positions held:- Dr. Murthy was the Chairman of the Governing Body and Scientific Advisory Committee of the Central Institute for Research in Indian Medicine and Post Graduate training in Ayurveda, Jamnagar, Gujarat, and Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Government of India, for the development of Research and Post Graduate studies in Ayurveda. He also adorned positions like President of the Central Board of Indian Medicine, Editor of Madras Medical Journal, Co-founder and Secretary of Madras Medical Association and Treasurer of Besant Centenary Trust and Besant Theosophical High School. He helped Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale to found the Kalakshetra of which he was the Vice-chairman for two decades from 1936. He was the president of the first Karnatak Ayurvedic conference at Belgaum, The Ayurvedic congress at Guntur, The Siddha Ayurvedic conference at Madurai and the All India Ayurvedic Mahamandal at Nasik.
Achievements and Awards & Honors
The Government of India tried to decorate him with the titles of Rao Bahadur and Dewan Bahadur, but he declined. In the end, he was prevailed upon to accept the modest title of Vaidya Ratna in the King’s Birthday Honors of 1932. He was awarded the T. Subba Rao Gold Medal in 1946. He had won the coveted Chipper Field gold medal for excellence in surgery and the Johnstone gold medal for general proficiency during his medical studies.
Publications:-
- “Medical Inspection of school children in India”- Book published in 1917
- “Slaughter of innocents-Infant Mortality, its cause and cure”- Book published in 1917
- ‘The Science & The Art of Indian Medicine’- Memorandum submitted to the Usman Committee, was published by Theosophical Publishing House (1st edition in 1952 and 2nd edition in 1987).
- ‘EDICTS OF ASHOKA’ with an English translation- Edited the book
Major initiatives:-
Captain G Srinivasa Murthy is the founder president of IMPCOPS (Indian Medical Practitioners Co-operative Pharmacy & Stores) which was established on 12th September 1944.
Friends, acquaintances, contemporaries & Disciples
Dr. Murthy workrd as the honorary physician to successive presidents of the Theosophical Society viz. Dr. Annie Besant, Dr. George Arundale and Jinarajadasa. He was a good friend of Mrs. Rukmini Devi Arundale and was instrumental in starting Kalakshetra. Bhisagrathna Achanta Lakshmipathy and Maha Mahoupadya Pandit Gananatha Sen were great friends of Dr. Murthy and they met often to devise means and ways to put Ayurveda firmly in the medical maps of India. Padmashri Dr. V Narayana Swamy, who was Director of IMPCOPS and expert member of Ayurveda Pharmacopeia Committee of the Government of India was an ardent disciple of Captain Srinivasa Murthy. Dr. C Dwarakanath was a distinguished student of Captain Srinivasa Murthy who later became the advisor in Indian Systems of Medicine to the Government of India.