CHAPTER X
THE FIRST HALF OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
" Days of the Hanover line."
Austin Dobson, Beau Brocade.
During the first haU of the eighteenth century the Company remained simply a trading corporation, with three chief settle- ments, independent of each other, at Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, and a few factories up-country. The most importarit event of this period, both historicaUy and medically, was Surman's Embassy to Delhi, to which a separate chapter has been devoted. The chapters on early history have brought down the story, in all three Presidencies, below the year 1700. For the interval from 1720 to 1750 there is but little to be said, and that httle consists chiefly of the names of medical officers then serving in India, with some notes on their careers. The chapter on Hospitals includes a httle information relating to this period. As the three Presidencies were entirely independent of each other, it will be best to consider them separately.
Bombay. — Most of the medical officers serving in the Western Presidency previous to 1750 are now httle more than names ; in many cases even their names have not been preserved. In a few cases some facts of more or less interest remain on record.
Gregorius Meisters, from his name apparently a German or Dutchman, is mentioned as Surgeon of the Fleet in Bombay Cons. of 9th Aug., 1717. He was serving as Surgeon at Surat in 1726. Payment of his bill of Rs.123 for medicines from Dec, 1725, to Dec, 1726, is recorded in the S%trat Diaries (Vol. XII) on 3rd March, 1726/27. He seems to have served at Surat for over ten years. The Bombay Cons, of 13th Oct., 1737, contain the subjoined extract from a letter from Surat, dated loth Oct., summarised —
" They complain of their Surgeon M"^ Meisters whose Slanderous & abusive Tongue is grown intolerable & as he is not employ 'd by any One II.I.M.S.— VOL. I. K
