as physics : it is certainly just as difficult physics. Claim for it an independent and honourable place such as physics has : do not let it be just a handmaiden (as the old saying was) of medicine. it Physics is not the handmaiden of engineering. If for had been, engineering -would be in a bad way, modern engineering depends upon physical knowledge and physics would have made no progress if it had
'respectable' as
been
the
handmaiden
of
any
other science
or
.
ar!j*
Independence and an honourable position are required, and if you can help to give physiology in India these, it. A you will get first-class youngsters in to join
danger is that no man may be allowed to hold any a place of importance in physiology unless he has It medical degree. Avoid this tradition like poison. means that you will miss many of the ablest people of all your Pasteurs, Langleys, Barcrofts, Cannons,
Baylisses, Howells, Bronks, Lucases, Mineses, Kroughs, to Lapicques. We shall look forward in England seeing your able young men working with us ; be sure that they are able before you send them, or they will waste their time and ours. Lim, the Chinese
physiologist,
asked
to work with me.
really good
one.
me
if I would have
a
pupil
of his
I said "yes, if you can send me a It's a waste of time otherwise". He
sent me his best. T. P. Feng, who is so good that I put him as high as anyone I have ever had (and that is pretty good). It is quality, not quantity or numbers, which counts in physiology. All men are not equalone Rutherford is worth 100 physicists, one
ordinary
Correspondence THE STATUS OF PHYSIOLOGY
Sir,?All those who have the interest of
physiology
and wish to see its status raised as an independent science would be glad to read a message from Professor A. V. Hill, f.r.s., which he sent at my request in 1937. I read it out to the Section of Physiology at the 24th Session of the Indian Science Congress which was held at Hyderabad (Deccan) at that time. Now that Professor Hill has happily been amongst us for some months, I take this opportunity to reproduce the message with his permission. 'If Science had no other purpose at all, no other result, it would probably be worth while for ordinary people to encourage it because of its international between different quality. Collaboration groups, different countries, and different races seems to be far than in matters easier in scientific any others : perhaps because there is a court of appeal, viz, Nature, which will settle disputes by experiment, and opinion and emotion are not the only guides. I am often astonished when I realize how far my only circle of friends and collaborators is international. It never occurs to one that they are of a different race or nation. They are citizens of the scientific community. just ' India is well on the way. In some subjects, particularly in physics and mathematics, Indians are already collaborating very effectively with the rest of the world. Indian scientists are beginning to be known, in person and by their work, in all the countries of the world. You must see that this becomes true also of physiology.. How to do it I cannot tell you?I do not know your conditions well enough. Somehow you must make physiology 'intellectually respectable', men of really first-class ability will be attracted^ to/ it. At Cambridge, as you know, physiology is just as at
heart
.
sffT^at
Pavlov produced more effect than 10,000,000 ordinary Russians in winning respect for his country. So guard and watch for and nurse the able youngster, and make things easy for him, and let him have as much independence as he can bear; and then send him out to see how things are done here or elsewhere. He will make friends, he will win respect for his ability, he will aid in establishing in India also that international brotherhood which is superior to race, religion, politics, disturbances, even to scientific differences of opinion? the international brotherhood of scientific people'. These inspiring words are addressed to all physiologists, medical men and scientists in India, and they Professor Hill are as true to-day as they were in 1937. tells me that, in the meantime, he has not changed his mind in the least. Needless to say, physiology is of inestimable value in dealing with many problems?social problems such as those of inheritance, eugenics and the population problem, nutrition and physical well-being of the race. It should not merely remain as hitherto as a part of the medical curriculum but should be treated in its own right as an independent science like physics and chemistry. It is only then that physiology would make rapid progress in this country. We must do all we can to create suitable conditions for its healthy growth in our colleges and universities. It must attract the very best men to its service, the best of students and the best of teachers. S. L. BHATIA, m.d.
New Delhi. 3rd
April,
1944I
f.r.c.p.
(Cantab.),
m.c., M.A.,
(Lond.), f.r.s.(e.),
COLONEL,
I.M.S.
'Deputy Director-General, Service.
.
Indian Medical'
'respectable' as
been
the
handmaiden
of
any
other science
or
.
ar!j*
Independence and an honourable position are required, and if you can help to give physiology in India these, it. A you will get first-class youngsters in to join
danger is that no man may be allowed to hold any a place of importance in physiology unless he has It medical degree. Avoid this tradition like poison. means that you will miss many of the ablest people of all your Pasteurs, Langleys, Barcrofts, Cannons,
Baylisses, Howells, Bronks, Lucases, Mineses, Kroughs, to Lapicques. We shall look forward in England seeing your able young men working with us ; be sure that they are able before you send them, or they will waste their time and ours. Lim, the Chinese
physiologist,
asked
to work with me.
really good
one.
me
if I would have
a
pupil
of his
I said "yes, if you can send me a It's a waste of time otherwise". He
sent me his best. T. P. Feng, who is so good that I put him as high as anyone I have ever had (and that is pretty good). It is quality, not quantity or numbers, which counts in physiology. All men are not equalone Rutherford is worth 100 physicists, one
ordinary
Correspondence THE STATUS OF PHYSIOLOGY
Sir,?All those who have the interest of
physiology
and wish to see its status raised as an independent science would be glad to read a message from Professor A. V. Hill, f.r.s., which he sent at my request in 1937. I read it out to the Section of Physiology at the 24th Session of the Indian Science Congress which was held at Hyderabad (Deccan) at that time. Now that Professor Hill has happily been amongst us for some months, I take this opportunity to reproduce the message with his permission. 'If Science had no other purpose at all, no other result, it would probably be worth while for ordinary people to encourage it because of its international between different quality. Collaboration groups, different countries, and different races seems to be far than in matters easier in scientific any others : perhaps because there is a court of appeal, viz, Nature, which will settle disputes by experiment, and opinion and emotion are not the only guides. I am often astonished when I realize how far my only circle of friends and collaborators is international. It never occurs to one that they are of a different race or nation. They are citizens of the scientific community. just ' India is well on the way. In some subjects, particularly in physics and mathematics, Indians are already collaborating very effectively with the rest of the world. Indian scientists are beginning to be known, in person and by their work, in all the countries of the world. You must see that this becomes true also of physiology.. How to do it I cannot tell you?I do not know your conditions well enough. Somehow you must make physiology 'intellectually respectable', men of really first-class ability will be attracted^ to/ it. At Cambridge, as you know, physiology is just as at
heart
.
sffT^at
Pavlov produced more effect than 10,000,000 ordinary Russians in winning respect for his country. So guard and watch for and nurse the able youngster, and make things easy for him, and let him have as much independence as he can bear; and then send him out to see how things are done here or elsewhere. He will make friends, he will win respect for his ability, he will aid in establishing in India also that international brotherhood which is superior to race, religion, politics, disturbances, even to scientific differences of opinion? the international brotherhood of scientific people'. These inspiring words are addressed to all physiologists, medical men and scientists in India, and they Professor Hill are as true to-day as they were in 1937. tells me that, in the meantime, he has not changed his mind in the least. Needless to say, physiology is of inestimable value in dealing with many problems?social problems such as those of inheritance, eugenics and the population problem, nutrition and physical well-being of the race. It should not merely remain as hitherto as a part of the medical curriculum but should be treated in its own right as an independent science like physics and chemistry. It is only then that physiology would make rapid progress in this country. We must do all we can to create suitable conditions for its healthy growth in our colleges and universities. It must attract the very best men to its service, the best of students and the best of teachers. S. L. BHATIA, m.d.
New Delhi. 3rd
April,
1944I
f.r.c.p.
(Cantab.),
m.c., M.A.,
(Lond.), f.r.s.(e.),
COLONEL,
I.M.S.
'Deputy Director-General, Service.
.
Indian Medical'
