Upendranath Brahmachari
Encyclopedia
Sir Upendranath Brahmachari, KIH (December 19, 1873 – February 6, 1946) was a noted Indian scientist and a leading medical practitioner of his time. He synthesized Urea
Stibamine (carbostibamide) in 1922 and determined that it was an effective substitute for the other antimony
-containing compounds in the treatment of Kala-azar (Visceral leishmaniasis) which is caused by a protozoon
, Leishmania
donovani.
His discovery led to the saving of millions of lives in India, particularly in the erstwhile province of Assam
, where several villages were completely depopulated by the devastating disease. The achievement of Brahmachari was a milestone in successful application of science in medical treatment in the years before arrival of antibiotics, when there were few specific drugs, except quinine
for malaria
, iron
for anaemia, digitalis
for heart diseases and arsenic
for syphilis
. All other ailments were treated symptomatically by palliative methods. Urea Stibamine was thus a significant addition to the arsenal of specific medicines.
. Also, others claim his birthplace to be in Sardanga village near Purbasthali, District Burdwan of West Bengal, India. His father Nilmony Brahmachari was a physician in East Indian Railways. His mother's name was Saurabh Sundari Devi. He completed his early education from Eastern Railways Boys' High School, Jamalpur. In 1893, he passed B.A.
degree from Hooghly Mohsin College
with honours in Mathematics and Chemistry. Thereafter he went to study Medicine with Higher Chemistry. He passed his Masters degree in 1894 from the Presidency College, Kolkata
. In M.B. Examination of 1900 of the University of Calcutta
, he stood first in Medicine and in Surgery for which he received Goodeve and Macleod awards. He obtained his M.D.
degree in 1902, and was awarded a PhD
degree in 1904, for his research paper on “Studies in Haemolysis” both from the University of Calcutta
. In 1898, he married Nani Bala Devi.
Brahmachari joined the Provincial Medical Service in September, 1899 and appointed as a teacher of Pathology
and Materia Medica
, and physician in the Dacca Medical School
in 1901. In 1905, he was appointed as a teacher in Medicine and Physician at the Campbell Medical School, Calcutta, where he carried out most of his work on Kala-azar and made his monumental discovery of Urea Stibamine. In 1923, he joined as Additional Physician in the Medical College Hospital. He retired from the government service as a physician in 1927. After retirement from the government service Brahmachari joined the Carmichael Medical College
in Kolkata as Professor of Tropical Diseases. He also served the National Medical Institute, in charge of its Tropical Disease Ward. He was also the Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Honorary Professor of Biochemistry at the University College of Science, Calcutta.
Around 1924, Brahmachari established the Brahmachari Research Institute in his own residence in Cornwallis Street (Vidhan Sarani), Kolkata. This institute was later converted into a Partnership concern with his sons Phanindra Nath and Nirmal Kumar. Under his guidance this Institute did quite well both in the fields of research and manufacture of medicine. The institute stopped functioning in 1963.
(in Bardhaman district
) near his ancestral house. The school was later renamed as the Purbasthali Nilmony Brahmachari Institution.
Gold Medal by the Governor General Lord Lytton (1924), Knighthood
by the British Government (1934) and Sir William Jones Medal by the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Brahmachari was a nominee for the Nobel Prize
in 1929 in the category of physiology and medicine. He was president of the 23rd session of the Indian Science Congress in Indore (1936). He was the President of the Indian Chemical Society, Calcutta (1936). He was honored with the fellowships of the Royal Society of Medicine, London and the National Institute of Sciences of India as well as the President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for two years (1928–29). He was also the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Indian Museum.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation renamed Loudon Street as Dr. U.N. Brahmachari Street.
Urea
Urea or carbamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO2. The molecule has two —NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl functional group....
Stibamine (carbostibamide) in 1922 and determined that it was an effective substitute for the other antimony
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
-containing compounds in the treatment of Kala-azar (Visceral leishmaniasis) which is caused by a protozoon
Protozoa
Protozoa are a diverse group of single-cells eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. Throughout history, protozoa have been defined as single-cell protists with animal-like behavior, e.g., movement...
, Leishmania
Leishmania
Leishmania is a genus of Trypanosomatid protozoa, and is the parasite responsible for the disease leishmaniasis. It is spread through sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus in the Old World, and of the genus Lutzomyia in the New World. Their primary hosts are vertebrates; Leishmania commonly infects...
donovani.
His discovery led to the saving of millions of lives in India, particularly in the erstwhile province of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, where several villages were completely depopulated by the devastating disease. The achievement of Brahmachari was a milestone in successful application of science in medical treatment in the years before arrival of antibiotics, when there were few specific drugs, except quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
for malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
for anaemia, digitalis
Digitalis
Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials that are commonly called foxgloves. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent reviews of phylogenetic research have placed it in the much enlarged family...
for heart diseases and arsenic
Arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
for syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
. All other ailments were treated symptomatically by palliative methods. Urea Stibamine was thus a significant addition to the arsenal of specific medicines.
Life
Upendranath Brahmachari was born on 19 December 1873 in Jamalpur, BiharBihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. Also, others claim his birthplace to be in Sardanga village near Purbasthali, District Burdwan of West Bengal, India. His father Nilmony Brahmachari was a physician in East Indian Railways. His mother's name was Saurabh Sundari Devi. He completed his early education from Eastern Railways Boys' High School, Jamalpur. In 1893, he passed B.A.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Hooghly Mohsin College
Hooghly Mohsin College
Hooghly Mohsin College is affiliated to The University of Burdwan where undergraduate and postgraduate courses are taught. From 1857 to 1960 it was affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It is situated on the banks of Hooghly River in Chinsurah, District Hooghly, West Bengal, India.-History:The...
with honours in Mathematics and Chemistry. Thereafter he went to study Medicine with Higher Chemistry. He passed his Masters degree in 1894 from the Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata, formerly Hindu College and Presidency College, is a unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. and one of the premier institutes of learning of liberal arts and sciences in India. In 2002 it was ranked number one by the weekly news magazine...
. In M.B. Examination of 1900 of the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
, he stood first in Medicine and in Surgery for which he received Goodeve and Macleod awards. He obtained his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree in 1902, and was awarded a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in 1904, for his research paper on “Studies in Haemolysis” both from the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. In 1898, he married Nani Bala Devi.
Brahmachari joined the Provincial Medical Service in September, 1899 and appointed as a teacher of Pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
and Materia Medica
Materia medica
Materia medica is a Latin medical term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing . The term 'materia medica' derived from the title of a work by the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the 1st century AD, De materia medica libre...
, and physician in the Dacca Medical School
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital , established in 1946 during the British colonial rule, is the top medical college in Bangladesh. Situated at the heart of the city in the academic zone along with University of Dhaka and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka Medical College...
in 1901. In 1905, he was appointed as a teacher in Medicine and Physician at the Campbell Medical School, Calcutta, where he carried out most of his work on Kala-azar and made his monumental discovery of Urea Stibamine. In 1923, he joined as Additional Physician in the Medical College Hospital. He retired from the government service as a physician in 1927. After retirement from the government service Brahmachari joined the Carmichael Medical College
R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital
R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital [আর.জি.কর মেডিক্যাল কলেজ & হাসপাতাল] is one of the oldest medical college and tertiary care hospital of Kolkata, West Bengal in India named after the famous physician Dr. Radha Gobinda Kar [ ডা. রাধাগোবিন্দ কর ], the founder of the institution.- History, :In...
in Kolkata as Professor of Tropical Diseases. He also served the National Medical Institute, in charge of its Tropical Disease Ward. He was also the Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Honorary Professor of Biochemistry at the University College of Science, Calcutta.
Around 1924, Brahmachari established the Brahmachari Research Institute in his own residence in Cornwallis Street (Vidhan Sarani), Kolkata. This institute was later converted into a Partnership concern with his sons Phanindra Nath and Nirmal Kumar. Under his guidance this Institute did quite well both in the fields of research and manufacture of medicine. The institute stopped functioning in 1963.
Social services
Brahmachari played an important part in the formation of the world's second Blood Bank in Kolkata in 1939. He was the Chairman of the Blood Transfusion Service of Bengal. He was the Vice President of the St. John Ambulance Association of the Bengal branch and also its President. He was the first Indian to become the Chairman of the Managing Body of the Indian Red Cross Society of the Bengal Branch. He generously contributed to the High School in PurbasthaliPurbasthali
Purbasthali is a village with a police station in Kalna subdivision of Bardhaman district. It is located 120 km north from Kolkata. Also known as Chupi Char, it lies on the banks of a large oxbow lake created by the Ganges river and is only a few km from the old and holy town of Nabadwip. The...
(in Bardhaman district
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...
) near his ancestral house. The school was later renamed as the Purbasthali Nilmony Brahmachari Institution.
Awards and honours
For his achievements, he received many awards. Most notable among them are, the Griffith Memorial Prize of the University of Calcutta, the Minto Medal by the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1921), the Kaisar-i-HindKaisar-i-Hind
The Kaisar-i-Hind was a medal awarded by the British monarch between 1900 and 1947, to civilians of any nationality who rendered distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj....
Gold Medal by the Governor General Lord Lytton (1924), Knighthood
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by the British Government (1934) and Sir William Jones Medal by the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Brahmachari was a nominee for the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in 1929 in the category of physiology and medicine. He was president of the 23rd session of the Indian Science Congress in Indore (1936). He was the President of the Indian Chemical Society, Calcutta (1936). He was honored with the fellowships of the Royal Society of Medicine, London and the National Institute of Sciences of India as well as the President of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for two years (1928–29). He was also the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Indian Museum.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation renamed Loudon Street as Dr. U.N. Brahmachari Street.
Important works
Some of his important works are:- Studies in Haemolysis, University of Calcutta, 1909.
- Kala-Azar : Its treatment, Butterworth & Co. Ltd. Calcutta 1917.
- Kala-Azar in Doctor Carl Mense’s Handbuch der Tropenkrankheiten, vol. IV, 1926.
- Treatise on Kala-Azar, John Bale, Sons & Danielsson Ltd., London, 1928.
- Campaign against Kala-Azar in India in Jubilee Publication on the 80th birthday of Dr. Prof. Bernhard Nocht, Hamburg, 1937.
- Progress of Medical Research work in India during the last 25 years, and progress of Science in India, during the past 25 years, Indian Science Congress Association 1938.
- Gleanings from my Researchers Vol. I, University of Calcutta, 1940.
- Gleanings from my Researchers Vol. II, University of Calcutta, 1941.
- Infantile Biliary Cirrhosis in India in British Encyclopedia of Medical practice edited by Sir Humphrey Rolleston.