Book touches upon medical heritage and history of Madras
MERIN JAMES
Madras has a unique medical heritage and history and today, the city is an important hub for medical tourism in India. Ramanujar Moulana, the founder of Cycling Yogis
(a cycling group) has released a book titled Madras by Cycle: Medical Heritage Trails of Chennai.
The book attempts to document frontline workers and selfless doctors of the past, hospitals, medical institutions including pharmacies, and much more. The book consists of ten cycling trails by Ramanujar and also looks back at the many medical firsts of Madras. Ramanujar, who started regular cycling in 2010, tells us that cycling is just not a fitness activity but a wonderful machine to map our city’s heritage and history, including daily commuting. “After starting Cycling Yogis group in 2012, I have been riding to various landmarks across Chennai and Tamil Nadu, documenting our past by publishing books. Being mentally fatigued by the lockdown and more such instances during the pandemic situation became the reason for Medical Heritage Trails book. Moreover, at a time like this, I thought it is very important to share details about Chennai’s medical heritage. If people get to know the past, it will help in garnering the spirit of resilience to fight back the situation, especially, when they know that pandemics were not new to our city,” says Ramanujar Moulana.
An avid cyclist, the author has made sure that the book contains QR Codes for easy access to all the locations via a smartphone interface. “I am dedicating this book to all the frontline workers beginning from Dr WS Swamy Naick (native superintendent of vaccination) during the British to the present. My cycling journey has been amazing so far. I got to know about our rich medical heritage and the history of Madras. Many things fascinated me during these cycling trails. Beginning from Dr Mary Ann Scherlieb, who should be considered the first women doctor in the world from MMC much before Europe opened its doors, Egmore Eye Hospital considered as the second oldest in the world, the efforts of Dr Swamy Naick in the vaccination drive in George Town, how the Plague quarantine restrictions did not allow Swami Vivekananda to alight from Madras harbour and so on,” he recollects.
Ramanujar hopes that the book will be useful for city lovers, heritage enthusiasts and the medical fraternity.