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{{Short description|Military medical service in British India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2017}}
[[File:More neighbors D'autres voisins.jpg|right|thumb|Unidentified members of the IMS in France, during World War I.]]
The '''Indian Medical Service''' ('''IMS''') was a military medical service in [[British Raj|British India]], which also had some civilian functions. Originating during the East India Company's period of rule, it was organised into a single unified service in 1896, served during the two World Wars, and remained in existence until the independence of India in 1947.

Many of its officers, who were both British and Indian, served in civilian hospitals. Among its notable ranks, the IMS had Sir [[Ronald Ross]], a [[Nobel Prize]] winner, [[Benjamin Franklin (surgeon)|Sir Benjamin Franklin]], later honorary physician to three British monarchs and [[Henry Vandyke Carter]], best known for his illustrations in the anatomy textbook ''[[Gray's Anatomy]]''.

==History==
===Early history===
The earliest positions for medical officers in the [[British East India Company]] (formed as the Association of Merchant Adventurers in 1599 and receiving the royal charter on the last day of 1600) were as ship surgeons. The first three surgeons to have served were John Banester on the ''Leicester'', Lewis Attmer on the ''Edward'' and Rober on the ''Francis''. The first Company fleet went out in 1600 with [[James Lancaster]] on the Red Dragon and three other ships, each with two surgeons and a barber.<ref>Crawford I:1-3</ref> This was the voyage on which the serendipitous experiment on lemon juice as a cure for scurvy was carried out. The establishment of the East India Company in India was greatly aided by a doctor, although a lot of fiction may have been introduced into accounts relating to this. [[Gabriel Boughton]] is said to have saved Shah Jahan's daughter princess Jahanara from injuries due to burns. In reward he was given duty-free trading rights and this document was utilized by the East India Company to obtain a ''farman'' or rights for itself from the ruler in Surat.<ref>Crawford 1:37-57</ref>

As more factories of the East India Company were established in India at this time, new positions began to be created for the appointment of surgeons and physicians.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crawford|first=D. G.|date=1901|title=Notes on the History of the Bengal Medical Service |quote=The following notes were compiled altogether from the point of view of a member of the Bengal Medical Service, but I believe that the statements about pay, rank, furlough, &c., in fact all the notes on the early history of the Bengal service, would apply equally, mutatis mutandis, to Madras and Bombay.|journal=The Indian Medical Gazette|volume=36|issue=1|pages=1–4|issn=0019-5863|pmc=5164180|pmid=29004198}}</ref> These men of medicine included Nicholas Manucci, a [[Venice|Venetian]] born in 1639 who served [[Dara Shikoh]] before studying medicine in [[Lahore]] where he served [[Shah Alam]] from 1678-82. Later, he then settled in Madras. An [[Armenians|Armenian]] named Sikandar Beg served as surgeon to Suleiman Shikoh, son of Darah Shikoh, and there are records of several Dutch and French physicians in various courts across India.<ref>Crawford 1:7-9</ref> [[Samuel Browne (surgeon)|Samuel Browne]] served around 1694 at Fort St. George, Madras from where he also reported on his botanical and other natural history studies.<ref>Crawford 1:16</ref> Jean Martin served Haider Ali and Jean Castarede served under Tipoo Sultan.<ref>Crawford 1:11-14</ref> A hierarchy was introduced into the establishment of the East India Company in 1614 with the appointment of a surgeon general. The first to accept this position was John Woodall, who was however accused of embezzling pay from apprentices that he used to hire. With continuing complaints and financial crunch he was retrenched in 1642.<ref>Crawford 1:24-25</ref> Another Surgeon Walter Chesley was sent home from service in Sumatra for drunkenness, while a Dr. Coote was removed from Bencoolen for debauchery in 1697.<ref>Crawford 1:34</ref>

Surgeons were often assigned on diplomatic missions to various courts and they were found to be very influential. The first surgeon at Calcutta was a Dutchman who resigned in 1691. [[William Hamilton (surgeon)|William Hamilton]] was particularly famous.<ref>Crawford 1:116-127</ref> [[John Zephaniah Holwell]] who came to Bengal as a Surgeon in 1732 was appointed as ''Zamindar'' of Calcutta. He was captured in 1756 by Siraj-ud-Daulah and survived the Black Hole. Holwell was noted as a careful student of native customs and it has been suggested that if he had been in charge of Fort William, the entire incident would not have happened. He returned to England and became as an advisor on various matters of government.<ref>Crawford 1:150-176</ref> Surgeons were often spared in wartime. William Fullerton was the sole survivor in 1763 at Patna when the English fought Nawab Mir Qasim.<ref>Crawford 1:180-196</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh|year=1993|volume=38|issue=3|pages=125–126|title=Gabriel Boughton and William Hamilton: surgeons who helped build British power in India|author=Sinha, K.K.|pmid=7687669}}</ref> Later, around 1830, John Martin Honigberger from Transylvania served Ranjit Singh. He also worked at a hospital set up by Sir Henry Lawrence at Lahore.<ref>Crawford 1:15-16</ref> [[Benjamin Simpson]] is particularly well known for capturing numerous photographs during his service in the second half of the 19th century.

===Later history===
Later, in the nineteenth century, the IMS became one of the routes to becoming a [[Political officer (British Empire)|Political officer]] in the [[Indian Political Department]].<ref>{{Citation
|publisher = Routledge
|isbn = 0415346827
|location = London
|title = The British Empire & Tibet 1900 - 1922
|author = Wendy Palace
|date = 2004
|oclc = 834529138
|id = 0415346827
|ol = 3291326M
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Garrison|first=Fielding H.|date=1914|title=The Anglo-Indian Surgeons|journal=Edinburgh Medical Journal|volume=12|issue=5|pages=425–432|issn=0367-1038|pmc=5271284}}</ref> The [[British Raj|British Indian government]] set up the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine between 1910 and its opening in 1921 as a postgraduate center for tropical medicine<ref>Helen Power, "The Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine: Institutionalizing Medical Research in the Periphery," ''Medical History'' (1996) 40#2 pp 197-214.</ref> at the heart of the Indian Empire. Charles Stiebel served with the medical services during the [[First World War]]. In August 1915, he was transferred to the 5th Indian General Hospital at [[Alexandria]] in [[Egypt]] where he served for the 135th Indian Field Ambulance.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5397985 |title=Catalogue description Medal card of Stiebel, Charles Alexander Corps: Lancashire Fusiliers; Labour Corps |date=1914–1920}}</ref> Stiebel served as a lieutenant with the Indian Medical Service including with No. 1 Indian General Hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Commonwealth War Graves Commission |title=Lieutenant Charles Stiebel {{!}} War Casualty Details 630342 |url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/630342/charles-stiebel/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Commonwealth War Graves Commission |language=en}}</ref>

On 3 April 1943, the Indian Medical Service, the [[Indian Medical Department]], and the [[Indian Hospital & Nursing Corps]] were amalgamated into the [[Indian Army Medical Corps]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Army Medical Corps Raising Day 2023: History, significance, and little-known facts|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/army-medical-corps-raising-day-2023-history-significance-and-little-known-facts}}</ref> It was formed as a wartime necessity for attracting suitably qualified men for service in a rapidly expanding army.<ref name="252Anniv">{{cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/army-medical-corps-celebrates-252nd-anniversary-116040300491_1.html|title=Army Medical Corps celebrates 252nd anniversary|date=2016-04-03|access-date=2023-11-03}}</ref> The IAMC was re-designated the Army Medical Corps with effect from 26 January 1950.

== Structure ==
The first signs of organization began with the establishment of the Bengal Medical Service on 20 October 1763 with fixed grades, rules for promotion and service. Similar services were established by 1764 in both Madras and Bombay.<ref>Crawford 1:197-198</ref> In Bengal increasing military actions required the separation of Military Surgeons from [[civil surgeon|Civil Surgeons]]. Each non-native regiment had a surgeon and over time the strength of the Medical Service grew. The Bengal service had 382 in 1854 while Madras had 217 and Bombay 181.<ref>Crawford 1:201-222</ref> For a while the military service also required combat service and upon promotion they could choose one branch either as Captain or Surgeon. The first Indian natives to join the service was [[Soorjo Coomar Goodeve Chuckerbutty]] who entered the service on 24 January 1855 followed by Rajendra Chandra Chandra on 27 January 1858.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crawford|first=D. G.|date=1901|title=Notes on History of Bengal Medical Service|journal=The Indian Medical Gazette|volume=36|issue=2|pages=41–48|issn=0019-5863|pmc=5164019|pmid=29004070}}</ref> The Medical Services of the Madras, Bengal and Bombay Presidencies were united after 1857. Separate Medical Boards involved that recruited for the Presidencies were abolished on 12 November 1857. A single Indian Medical Service that separated from the civil medical service in 1858<ref>{{cite book|title=Public Health in British India: Anglo-Indian Preventive Medicine 1859-1914| author=Harrison, Mark| publisher= Cambridge University Press| year=1994|page=7}}</ref> was placed under a single Director General with effect from 1 April 1896, when the Bengal, Madras and Bombay medical services were formally amalgamated into a single organisation.<ref name="Crawford_HistoryIMS">{{Cite journal|last=Crawford|first=D. G.|date=1907|title=History of the Indian Medical Service|journal=The Indian Medical Gazette|volume=42|issue=5|pages=192–198|issn=0019-5863|pmc=5165998|pmid=29005090}}</ref><ref>Crawford 2:328–329</ref>

===Ranks===
Prior to the formation of the IMS in 1764, all medical officers in the employ of the East India Company were unranked. There were two grades of medical officer:
* Head Surgeon
* Surgeon

From 1764, there were four primary ranks of medical officer. The Surgeon-General (at other times designated Physician-General or Chief Surgeon) headed the service from around 1769, while Head Surgeons, who ranked immediately below, nominally oversaw the main military hospitals in the subcontinent, though the exact scope of their authority remained vague. Below the Head Surgeons were Surgeons, followed by Hospital Mates. Sometime prior to 1785, Head Surgeons were redesignated Surgeon-Majors, with Hospital Mates becoming Assistant Surgeons. Apart from the Surgeon-General or his equivalent, all medical officers ranked with warrant officers. The rank of Surgeon-Major was apparently discontinued around 1785 and replaced by the former rank of Head Surgeon. In 1786, formal three-member Medical Boards were established, with one Board for each Presidency.<ref name="Crawford_HistoryIMS"/>

On 24 October 1788, medical officers were reclassified as commissioned officers:
* Surgeon-General/Physician-General/Chief Surgeon
* Head Surgeons - ranking with Majors
* Surgeons - ranking with Captains
* Assistant Surgeons - ranking with Lieutenants

In 1807, the rank of Superintending Surgeon was officially introduced, having been informally used since around 1803. Ranking above Head Surgeons (redesignated Senior Surgeons around this time), they supplanted them as professional administrators of military hospitals. Each army division was allotted a Superintending Surgeon. In 1842, the three positions on each Medical Board were ranked in order of seniority as Physician-General, Surgeon-General and Inspector-General of Hospitals, respectively. In 1843, the East India Company formalized equivalent military ranks for medical officers, as follows:<ref name="Crawford_HistoryIMS"/>
* Physician-General/Surgeon-General/Inspector-General - ranking with Brigadier-Generals
* Superintending Surgeons - ranking with Lieutenant-Colonels
* Senior Surgeons - ranking with Majors
* Surgeons - ranking with Captains
* Assistant Surgeons - ranking with Lieutenants

When the British government dissolved the East India Company in 1858 and asserted its rule over India, it abolished the Medical Boards and replaced the appointments of Physician-General and Surgeon-General with a single Director-General. Superintending Surgeons were also redesignated Deputy Inspectors-General at the same time. The ranks of the medical service thus became:
* Director-General/Inspector-General - ranking with Brigadier-Generals
* Deputy Inspectors-General - ranking with Lieutenant-Colonels
* Senior Surgeons - ranking with Majors
* Surgeons - ranking with captains
* Assistant Surgeons - ranking with lieutenants

In 1862, the rank of director-general was briefly redesignated as principal inspector-general, but the former designation was restored in 1866, followed by the redesignation of director-general as inspector-general in 1869. A new ranking system was introduced in 1873:<ref name="Crawford_HistoryIMS"/>
* Surgeon-general - ranking with Brigadier-Generals
* Deputy surgeons-General - ranking with lieutenant-Colonels
* Surgeons-major - ranking with majors
* Surgeons (6+ years of service) - ranking with captains
* Surgeons (less than 6 years of service) - ranking with lieutenants

In 1880, the rank of brigade surgeon was introduced and all surgeons regardless of their date of joining were ranked as captains. The IMS ranks were then as follows:<ref name="Crawford_HistoryIMS"/>
* Surgeon-general - ranking with brigadier-generals
* Deputy surgeons-General - ranking with colonels
* Brigade surgeons - ranking with lieutenant-colonels
* Surgeons-major - ranking with majors
* Surgeons - ranking with captains

Excepting the surgeon-general, IMS officers were given formal military ranks for the first time in 1891, corresponding to those of their British Indian Army counterparts; simultaneously, the appointment of surgeon-general was upgraded to the equivalent of a [[Major general (United Kingdom)|major-general]]. The rank of surgeon-lieutenant was also introduced in 1891. In 1896, the head of the service was named its director-general, with the title of surgeon-general (major-general). The other IMS military ranks retained the prefix of "surgeon" until it was dropped in 1898.<ref name="Crawford_HistoryIMS"/> From 28 May 1913, the director-general, while holding the title of surgeon-general, was made eligible for promotion to the rank of [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-general]] with the approval of the [[Secretary of State for India]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=28725|date=3 June 1913 |page=3909 |supp= |nolink=y}}</ref> From 5 June 1918, the title of surgeon-general was dropped, with the director-general to have the rank and title of either major-general or lieutenant-general.<ref name="LG_1918">{{London Gazette |issue=30741|date=11 June 1918 |page=6935 |supp= |nolink=y}}</ref>

==Directors-General Indian Medical Service==
;Key
*{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name {{small|(born–died)}}
! rowspan=2| IMS batch
! colspan=3| Term of office
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|Refences}}
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
|1
|
|Surgeon-General{{efn|name=a|With the rank of major general.|group= n}} James Cleghorn {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CSI|QHS}}}} {{small|(19 May 1841-14 June 1920)}}
|1865
|1 April 1896
|25 October 1898
|{{ayd|1895|4|1|1898|10|25}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930">{{cite book |year=1930 |url=https://archive.org/details/rollindianmedicalservicecrawford/page/n9/mode/2up?q= |editor-last1=Crawford |editor-first1=Dirom Grey |title=Roll Of the Indian Medical Service: 1600–1930 |publication-place=London |publisher=W. Thacker & Co.}}</ref>
|-
|2
|
|Surgeon-General{{efn|name=a|With the rank of major general.|group= n}} Robert Harvey {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CB|DSO|FRCP}}}} {{small|(10 March 1842-1 December 1901)}}
|1866
|25 October 1898
|1 December 1901 {{note label|†|†|†}}
|{{ayd|1898|10|25|1901|12|1}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/>
|-
|3
|
|Surgeon-General{{efn|name=a|With the rank of major general.|group= n}} Sir [[Benjamin Franklin (surgeon)|Benjamin Franklin]] {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCIE}}}} {{small|(30 April 1844-15 February 1917)}}
|1869
|2 December 1901
|1 January 1905
|{{ayd|1901|12|2|1905|1|1}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/>
|-
|4
|
|Surgeon-General{{efn|name=a|With the rank of major general.|group= n}} Sir Gerald Bomford {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCIE}}}} {{small|(19 July 1851-12 April 1915)}}
|1874
|1 January 1905
|1 January 1910
|{{ayd|1905|1|1|1910|1|1}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/>
|-
|5
|
|Surgeon-General{{efn|name=b|With the rank of major general until 22 September 1916, when promoted lieutenant-general.<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/>|group= n}} Sir Charles Pardey Lukis {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCSI|VD|FRCS}}}} {{small|(9 September 1857-21 October 1917)}}
|1880
|1 January 1910
|21 October 1917 {{note label|†|†|†}}
|{{ayd|1910|1|1|1917|10|21}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/>
|-
|6
|
|Major-General{{efn|name=c|With the rank and title of surgeon-general until 5 June 1918.<ref name="LG_1918"/>|group= n}} Sir William Rice Edwards {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCB|KCIE|CMG}}}} {{small|(17 May 1862-13 October 1923)}}
|1886
|8 January 1918
|8 January 1923
|{{ayd|1918|1|8|1923|1|8}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/>
|-
|7
|
|Major-General Sir Robert Charles MacWatt {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CIE|FRCS}}}} {{small|(22 January 1865-14 April 1945)}}
|1888
|23 January 1923
|1 April 1926
|{{ayd|1923|1|23|1926|4|1}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref>{{cite web|date=2013 |title=Obituary: MacWatt, Sir Robert Charles (1865–1945) |url=https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/lives/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:376723/one?qu=MacWatt&te=ASSET&dt=list |website=Plarr's Lives of the Fellows |location=London |publisher=Royal College of Surgeons of England |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|8
|
|Major-General Sir (Thomas) Henry Symons {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KBE|CIE|OBE}}}} {{small|(17 May 1872-3 July 1948)}}
|1896
|1 April 1926
|1 April 1930
|{{ayd|1926|4|1|1930|4|1}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1930">{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=September 1930 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5157370/ |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=65 |issue=9 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=537–538 |pmid=29008792 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=1948 |title=Obituary: Sir Henry Symons |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2091003/?page=2 |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=2 |issue=4569 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group |pages=272 |pmid=29008792 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|9
|
|Major-General Sir John Wallace Dick Megaw {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCIE}}}} {{small|(8 February 1874-24 October 1958)}}
|1900
|1 April 1930
|15 November 1933
|{{ayd|1930|4|1|1933|11|15}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1934">{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=February 1934 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5159051/ |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=69 |issue=2 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=119 |pmid=29009187 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=8 November 1958 |title=Obituary: Sir John Megaw |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2026701/?page=1 |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=2 |issue=5105 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group |pages=1166–1167 |pmid=13584890 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|10
|
|Major-General Sir Cuthbert Allan Sprawson {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CIE|FRCP}}}} {{small|(1 March 1877-7 May 1956)}}
|1900
|15 November 1933
|1 March 1937
|{{ayd|1933|11|15|1937|3|1}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1934"/><ref name="IMG_1937">{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=May 1937 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5173767/ |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=72 |issue=5 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=327 |pmid=29013317 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=19 May 1956 |title=Obituary: Sir Cuthbert Sprawson |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1979648/?page=1 |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=1 |issue=4976 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group |pages=1176–1177 |pmid=13316105 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|11
|
|Major-General [[Ernest Bradfield]] {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CIE|OBE|FRCSE}}}} {{small|(28 May 1880-28 October 1963)}}
|1903
|1 March 1937
|8 November 1939
|{{ayd|1937|3|1|1939|11|8}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1937"/><ref name="IMG_1939">{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=February 1940 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5207844/ |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=75 |issue=2 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=127 |pmid=29013881 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|12
|
|Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon Gray Jolly {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCIE}}}} {{small|(6 April 1886-1 March 1962)}}
|1908
|8 November 1939
|4 October 1943
|{{ayd|1939|11|8|1943|10|4}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1939"/><ref name="IMG_1943">{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=December 1943 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5158670/?page=1 |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=78 |issue=12 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=620 |pmid=29012356 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=17 March 1962 |title=Obituary: Sir Gordon Jolly |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1957933/ |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=1 |issue=5280 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group |pages=804 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|13
|
|Major-General Sir (James) Bennett Hance {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCIE|OBE|FRCSE}}}} {{small|(21 April 1887-5 September 1958)}}
|1912
|4 October 1943
|12 March 1946
|{{ayd|1943|10|4|1946|11|12}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1943"/><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37801|date=29 November 1946 |page=5853 |supp= |nolink=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=20 September 1958 |title=Obituary: Sir Bennett Hance |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2026668/?page=1 |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=2 |issue=5098 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group |pages=745–746|pmid=13572891 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|14
|
|Lieutenant-General Robert Hay {{small|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CIE}}}} {{small|(8 March 1889-18 May 1980)}}
|1914
|12 March 1946
|[[Independence Day (India)|15 August 1947]]
|{{ayd|1946|3|12|1947|8|15}}
|<ref name="CrawfordRoll_1930"/><ref name="IMG_1946">{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=June-July 1946 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5236414/ |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=81 |issue=6–7 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=280 |pmid=29015971 |access-date=30 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37755|date=11 October 1946 |page=5039 |supp= |nolink=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=September 1949 |title=Service Notes: Appointments and Transfers |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5189488/ |journal=Indian Medical Gazette |volume=84 |issue=9 |publisher=Pandeya Publications |pages=430 |pmid=29014609 |access-date=31 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date=31 May 1980 |title=Obituary: Sir Robert Hay |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1601572/?page=1 |journal=British Medical Journal |volume=280 |issue=6227 |publisher=BMJ Publishing Group |pages=1324–1325|pmid= |access-date=31 December 2025}}</ref>
|-
|}

== See also ==
* [[Royal Army Medical Corps]]
* [[Army Medical Corps (India)]]
* [[List of Indian Medical Service officers]]
* [[Central Health Service|Central Health Service (CHS)]]
* [[Women’s Medical Service]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=[[Dirom Grey Crawford]] |title=A history of the Indian Medical Service 1600-1913. Volume 1 |publisher=W. Thacker & Co. |place=London |year=1914 |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011713370}}
* {{cite book |author=[[Dirom Grey Crawford]] |title=A history of the Indian Medical Service 1600-1913. Volume 2 |publisher=W. Thacker & Co. |place=London |year=1914 |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011713370}}
* {{cite book|author=Bayley, Henry Vincent - of the Bengal Civil Service |title=Dorjé-Ling. A description of its merits as a health resort |publisher=G. H. Huttmann, Military Orphan Press |place=Calcutta|year=1838|url=http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv3cbe6f68}}
* Donald McDonald, ''Surgeons Twoe and a Barber'' (London: Heinemann, 1950) [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2530269/pdf/postmedj00584-0055a.pdf online review].
* Thapar, Lt Gen Daya Ram, ''The Morale Builders. Forty Years with the Military Medical Services of India.'' (London: Asia Publishing House, 1965) {{ISBN|978-021022603-2}}
* Ghosh, Col A, History of the Armed Forces Medical Services: India (Sangam Books, 1988) {{ISBN|978-086131836-0}}

==External links==
* [http://www.naval-military-press.com/roll-of-the-indian-medical-service-1615-1930..html Roll of the Indian Medical Services, 1614-1930 by Lt.-Col D. G. Crawford]

[[Category:Medical and health organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Administrative corps of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Indian Medical Service officers| ]]
[[Category:1763 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1947]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1763]]

Indian Medical Service - Revision history

CleanupBot at 04:56, 22 March 2026