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Dr. Samuel Fisk Green (1822-1884) was born on Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He was an American medical missionary doctor who served with the American Ceylon Mission (ACM) in Jaffna, Sri Lanka during the period (1847-1873). During his tenure he founded the countries first medical school in what later became the Green Memorial Hospital in Manipay. He translated and published over 4000 pages of medical literature from English to Tamil as part of his efforts to train doctors in native languages. He was personally responsible for training over 60 native doctors of whom majority had their instructions in Tamil.
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[edit] Biography
Samuel Fisk Green was born to William E. Green and Julia Plimpton as the 8th of 11 children. After his secondary schooling, he was attracted to religion. In 1841 he went to New York and took employment in the Protestant Episcopal Board of Missions. During this period he became interested in the medical profession and gave up his employment and joined as a student in medicine. He graduated as a doctor in 1845. In 1846, he offered himself to serve in American Mission and joined a team of missionaries as a missionary physician to go to Ceylon now Sri Lanka.
[edit] Arrival in Ceylon
He took an arduous four month trip from America to British held India. He landed in Madras Presidency and then arrived in Ceylon in 1847. He initially served at the ACM mission at Vaddukoddai known as the Batticotta Seminary. Initially the locals were relunctant use his services. Eventually with his capability be became well known. As he attracted a lot of patients and it distracted from the missions primary task of education, he was moved to another ACM mission station in Manipay in 1848.
At Manipay, in addition to providing medical services to the ever increasing number of patients who came in search of him, he established the first medical school to teach western medicine to the Jaffna Tamils. Thus, Manipay is the first place in Ceylon history as the venue of the first hospital and the first medical school, thanks to the ACM, and in particular to Dr. Samuel Fisk Green.
Today, there stands at Manipay, the Green Memorial Hospital, which brings to revered memory the pioneer services of this great medical evangelist, and the ACM – now known as the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JDCSI). It celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Green Memorial Hospital, and the ACM medical mission, in October 1998. The continued service of the medical mission over a period of 150 years and its timely contribution to the Jaffna society are definitely milestones reached by the mission and need special focus and dissemination of historically important information. That is not all.
[edit] Medical School
Dr. Green established a medical school at Manipay. That medical school has another ‘first’ to be proud of. It was in that school that Dr. Green introduced Tamil language as the medium of instruction of western medical science – in as early as 1864. It is appropriate to mention here how Dr. Green changed the attitude of the colonial government by his determined and dedicated service.
[edit] Translating from English to Tamil
At the outset, when Dr. Green appealed for assistance for the publication of some medical books in Tamil, the colonial government refused aid saying that development of western medical science in Tamil was disastrous and suicidal. Yes, it is true that educating the servants would be suicidal for the colonial masters. But after a decade, the same government doubled its aid and also requested Dr. Green to superintend the preparation and printing of Sanitary and Medical action related literature in Cholera times. The Ceylon Observer commended Dr. Green’s endeavors, in late 1860s.
Why did Dr. Green decide to introduce Tamil as the medium of instruction of western medical science at a time when the society was not prepared? Dr. Green’s feeling was that it was the only way in which he could get his students to settle down as physicians in the villages of their own people.
It was the period of colonial rule. There were hardly any natives qualified in western medicine, except those who were trained by him. Qualified doctors had good prospects of government employment. Hence, once trained as doctors in the English medium by Dr. Green, his students left their villages for greener pastures-government employment in urban Ceylon.
That defeated Dr. Green’s aim – his primary purpose. His aim was to educate and train natives as doctors, to serve the people in their own villages. Thus, in his attempt to keep his students in their villages to serve the people, he switched over to the Tamil medium, which by no means was an easy task.
To teach western medicine in Tamil, he had to coin technical terms in Tamil, translate western medical books into Tamil and write medical books in Tamil. This meant the development of medical and scientific Tamil as different from the established literary Tamil. There was also a need to write medical treatises in simple Tamil for the benefit of the common people – the layman. He boldly and with confidence, undertook to meet all these challenges.
[edit] Literary contribution
Here is an overview of his pioneer undertakings and accomplishments at Manipay, during the twenty-five year period 1847 -1873. He taught western medicine to Tamils in English. He learnt and gained proficiency in the Tamil language. He prepared medical vocabulary in Tamil. He wrote and translated standard medical books in Tamil. He introduced Tamil as the medium of instruction for western medicine. He guided his students to translate medical books into Tamil. He edited and published medical books-over 4500 pages He wrote simple treatises in Tamil to educate the common people.
Dr. Green’s desire of leaving behind this very useful study to the Tamil nation in their own tongue and his foresight that English as a foreign language may in the lapse of time depart from the land are contentions that give food for thought, in the light of our experience in the post independence era. If our community had continued to follow Dr. Green’s trails, today the Tamil language would have developed like one of the modernized languages.
Whatsoever that remains of this great man’s pioneer attempt is that which appears in black and white upon the printed pages of his books. How many of us are aware of this great man’s achievements? The following list provides a glimpse into Green’s medical science works. They were published in Tamil as a result of Dr. Green’s planned undertaking:
1. Cutter’s Anatomy, Physiology and Hygiene. 204 pages 1857 2. Maunsell’s Obstetrics 258 pages 1857 3. Druitt’s Surgery 504 pages 1867 4. Gray’s Anatomy 838 pages 1872 5. Hopper’s Physician’s Vade Mecum 917 pages 1875 6. Dalton’s Physiology 590 pages 1883 7. Waring’s Pharmacopoeia of India 574 pages 1884 8. Well’s Chemistry 516 pages 1875
Dr. Green’s aim was to leave behind a series of medical text books in Tamil, as something permanent. This was a massive task. Aiming to accomplish such a task, he planned meticulously and worked systematically. He experienced some obstacles but obstacles did not discourage him, no mater in what form they manifested. There were times when he was ailing and fighting for his own survival; but, his conscience wouldn’t allow him to think of abandoning his undertaking.
There were times when his loved ones pressurized him to return; but, he withstood all pressures by presenting his point of view.
There were times when his students, educated natives, contended that he should concentrate on teaching medical science in English; but, he argued that at the close of his work he should have the satisfaction of leaving behind medical science to the Tamil nation, in their own language.
At the time he decided to introduce Tamil as the medium of instruction in his medical school, his students themselves were unhappy; but that did not affect his decision. He stood by his plan to teach in Tamil and get the doctors to settle down in their villages and serve their people.
The colonial government at first refused aid saying that the NON ENGLISH policy pursed by ACM was disastrous and suicidal; but, he disobeyed political dictum and continued his work on producing medical literature in Tamil. Ultimately, he made the government see reason and seek his assistance in medical matters. Many more instances may be listed as testing times; nothing made him feel disheartened or discouraged. In facing the problems, he demonstrated more national feeling than the natives themselves. No problem could make him turn back.
Dr. Green’s work in introducing western medical science in Tamil was the first ever attempted to render western medical science in Tamil. He was the pioneer in that field. The foregoing overview would amply portray the magnitude of Dr. Green’s undertaking.
Dr. Green lived amongst the Tamils of Jaffna and laboured for the Tamil people and developed medical and scientific Tamil – as different from literary Tamil. Given the period of time and the society in which he faced the challenges and accomplished his pioneer task of rendering scientific knowledge in Tamil, makes his achievements even more significant. Placing his undertakings and achievements in perspective, and viewing in the light of and the status of prose literature in Tamil during mid-nineteenth century gives a new dimension for evaluation of his contribution.
Taking cognizance of the fact that he was an English speaking American to whom our language was alien, we see the ‘real’ Dr. Green when we pause with gratitude to recapitulate his pioneer undertakings and achievements, and his determination and commitment to leave behind something permanent.
At one stage, in 1855, he was suffering from cholera and his sister wished that he returned home and recuperates. He firmly replied thus:
“ I have spent too much time in getting the language and in getting here, to run home before having really accomplished something. If I can leave behind a series of medical text books in the vernacular, I shall feel as if something permanent has been done. If I can stay out my ten years, I would prefer to do so.”
During his period he educated and trained 62 Tamils as doctors, 33 of them in the Tamil medium. That says it all about his commitment and dedication, though there are more instances to quote. He stayed on, risking his health and life.
Thus we see in Dr. Green as extraordinary scholarly personality with the heart and dedication to serve mankind in whom he saw God. He was a great man who was born great and demonstrated his greatness by his achievements as well as his determination and will.
It is unfortunate that we, the present Tamil generation, have failed to pause in gesture and reflect on his endeavors. Even the institutions of higher learning have not given due recognition to his pioneer work. Most of them are still unaware of his pioneer efforts and achievements.
Dr. Green served two ten-year terms between 1847 and 1873, working on his pioneer attempt to establish Western Medical Science in Tamil. Even the eleven years he lived after returning to America, he spent on revising Tamil works produced by translators in Jaffna.
His life was dedicated to the Tamils. Even in his last days, eleven years after leaving Jaffna, he expressed his wish to be remembered as Medical Evangelist to the Tamils. He had expressed this request in his last “will. The request was observed and the inscription engraved on his gravestone. Today, his gravestone in the Rural Cemetery at Worcester, Massachusetts bears testimony to his love and affection towards the Tamils amongst whom he lived and to whom he dedicated his entire life.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Ambihaipahar, R (November 11, 1998). Scientific Pioneer: Dr.Samuel Fisk Green. Colombo: Dhuhlasi Publications, 130. ISBN 955-8193-00-3.
- Cutler, Ebenezer (2004). Life and Letters of Samuel Fisk Green, M.D. of Green Hill. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, 456. ISBN 81-206-1926-9.
- Pierson, Arthur (March 15, 2007). Forward Movements Of The Last Half Century - Philanthropic, Missionary and Spiritual Movements of Our Time (Paperback). Ardley Press, 432. ISBN 978-1406706352.
