Articles by Mridula Ramanna

The Art and Science of Healing since Antiquity by Daya Ram Varma (USA: Xlibris Corporation), 2011; pp 413 (price not stated).

Matters of Exchange: Commerce, Medicine and Science in the Age of Empire by Harold J Cook;

Colonial health reports from the mid-19th century onwards recorded alarmingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality in the then Bombay Presidency. This was attributed to the practice of early marriage, the inferior status of women in society and tradition-bound health habits. This article examines the opinions of men and women doctors, civic leaders and philanthropists who were involved in campaigning for better healthcare for expectant mothers and in dealing with the reluctance of Indian women to consult male doctors. They also investigated the health of women mill workers, which led to debates in the Bombay legislative council and ultimately in the passing of the Maternity Benefits Act in 1929.

Preventive medicine in early 20th century colonial India saw the conscious promotion of 'sanitary consciousness'. Several voluntary organisations attempted to educate the public on western notions of sanitation and also tried to combat challenges posed by tuberculosis, infant mortality and venereal disease. This paper, through a regional focus on Bombay, looks at the hitherto unexplored role of semi-official and private bodies in health care. While their method was primarily educative and their reach limited to a few cities, the collaboration between officials, doctors and philanthropists in tackling public health challenges proved significant in the long run.

Focusing on the 1870s and the 1880s, the article looks into the controversy generated by the Indian Contagious Diseases Act among colonial officials and native Indians regarding the act's efficacy and implementation procedures to curb the spread of venereal diseases among the residents, especially the soldiers and sailors, of Bombay.