Page:A History of the Indian Medical Service, 1600-1913 Vol 1.djvu/16

PREFACE with the subject. Medical officers of the Company served in Dance's fleet, an I.M.S. officer married a lady who was said to be a descendant of Hannah Lightfoot, a retired officer of the I.M.S. was present on duty at the exhumation.

To one who has a liking for old-world tales, the mere passing glimpses one gets of what should be interesting stories are very tantalising. One would like to know more of the life of Gabriel Boughton, at Agra, at Balkh, and at Rajmahal. All that is known with certainty is that he did visit these places. Who was Dr. Lloyd, the English, or perhaps more probably Welsh surgeon, who was serving under Haidar Ali against his countrymen in the second Maisur war? How did he get into that position, and what became of him afterwards? What were the adventures in Central India of Henry Harlan, first ship surgeon at Madras, afterwards artillery subaltern in Bombay, from the time when he deserted to the "Morattoes," till, nearly four years later, we find him again serving as a surgeon, this time in Bengal, just in time to perish in the Patna massacre? But, as has been said, the best stories are those which have never been told.

In the spelling of Indian words, chiefly proper names, I have in the main followed the Hunterian system. Well-known names, such as Lucknow and Chittagong, are spelt in the ordinary English fashion, sanctioned by long usage. If one writes Lakhnau for Lucknow, and Chatgam for Chittagong, etc., one might as well carry the system to its logical conclusion, and write Kalikata for Calcutta, and Mamhaim for Bombay.

In the numerous extracts quoted from MS. records, and from other writers, spelling, punctuation, and use of capitals and of italics, are given as in the original. In the extracts from old documents, quoted from the works of Sainsbury, Talboys Wheeler, and Foster, the original spelling has been somewhat modernised by these writers.

References beginning with the letters M.P.L. are to documents as arranged m the Madras Record Office, and as given in the Madras Press Lists, The arrangement of records in volumes at Madras is different from that of the India Office. Similarly, references beginning with C.P.I, are to the arrangement of