Dr. Gopaul Chunder Roy (1844–1887): An extraordinary life dedicated to the cause of medical science

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Dr. Gopaul Chunder Roy (1844–1887), MD, FRCS, IMS, was one of the most important and prominent medical scientists of the nineteenth century India, who was a renowned surgeon and made valuable contributions to the understanding of the epidemic ‘Burdwan Fever’ that devastated the lower districts of Bengal province during the latter half of the nineteenth century. A product of the iconic Calcutta Medical College, he obtained an MD from the Glasgow Medical College and became the first native Indian to be awarded an FRCS (by exam) from the Royal College of Surgeons, London. In 1872, he joined the Indian Medical Service and later worked in various districts of Bengal Presidency. Dr. Roy was prolific in scientific publications and between 1866 and 1887, he published more than 70 valuable scientific papers on surgery, cholera, leprosy, filaria, snake venoms etc., but most importantly on Burdwan Fever, a kind of deadly malarial fever. His book on Burdwan Fever (1874, 1876), written based on his extensive personal experience, is still available in print in Europe and the USA. During the epidemic days, Dr. Roy worked tirelessly in Burdwan division and gained important scientific insight about the epidemic. His reputation as a doctor and his contribution to medical sciences were highly appreciated not only in India, but also in Great Britain, the USA and Australia during his lifetime. Unfortunately, Dr. Roy died early at an age of only 43 and today, his name is hardly known outside the academic circle and his contributions are nearly forgotten. Dr. Roy’s name has, of course, frequently featured in contemporary literature on Burdwan Fever, but beyond this, his contributions have hardly been discussed, and no comprehensive biography of Dr. Roy has so far been written. This article is an attempt to explore the importance of the medical works of Dr. Roy in the historical context and to document and compile a comprehensive scientific biography of this important scientific pioneer of the nineteenth century India, lest his contribution fades away from the history of science.