Rai Bahadur (Raj Bahadur) is a Sir Upendranath Brahmachari was a well-known Indian scientist and physician during his time. He had a unique personality, and his most significant research achievement was the discovery of Urea Stibamine, an organic antimonial chemical that was crucial in the treatment of Kala-azar, a protozoal ailment. He decided to pursue medicine after having a solid foundation in mathematics and chemistry, and then joined the Provincial Medical Service. Later, he was hired as a professor at Campbell Medical School, where he spent the most productive years of his life and conducted his revolutionary research on Kala-azar treatment. He stayed active in numerous sectors at the University of Kolkata during his years of service and even after retirement. He was involved in practically all of Kolkata’s major scientific and literary groups, as well as humanitarian and cultural initiatives. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the world’s second Blood Bank in Kolkata. He was the creator of the Brahmachari Research Institute, which was successful in both research and pharmaceutical manufacturing. He had an unquenchable hunger for knowledge, and his impact to society as a teacher and medical practitioner is immeasurable.
Childhood and Adolescence
Upendranath Brahmachari was born in Jamalpur, Bihar, on December 19, 1873, to Nilmony Brahmachari, an East Indian Railways physician, and his wife, Saurabh Sundari Devi.
He attended the Eastern Railways Boys’ High School in Jamalpur for his early education. He then went to Hooghly Mohsin College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 1893 with honors in Mathematics and Chemistry.
Following that, he studied Medicine with Higher Chemistry at the Presidency College in Kolkata, where he received his Master’s degree in 1894.
He later enrolled at the University of Calcutta, where he received his MD in 1902. He received his PhD in 1904 for his thesis on ‘Haemolysis.’
A Career of Upendranath Brahmachari
He began his medical career in 1899, when he joined the Provincial Medical Service as a Pathology and Materia Medica teacher. He graduated from the Dacca Medical School in 1901.
In 1905, he joined the Campbell Medical School in Kolkata as a teacher of medicine and a physician. He spent many years there, conducting most of his study on Kala-azar and discovering Urea Stibamine, which was a game-changing discovery.
He became an Additional Physician at the Medical College Hospital in 1923. He established the ‘Brahmachari Research Institute’ at his home in Kolkata in 1924.
He left the government service as a physician in 1927. He worked as a Professor of Tropical Diseases at the Carmichael Medical College in Kolkata after retiring.
He then became the Chairman of Bengal’s Blood Transfusion Service. In 1939, he was instrumental in the establishment of the world’s second blood bank in Kolkata.
At the National Medical Institute, he was in charge of the Tropical Disease Ward. He was also the Head of the Department of Biochemistry at the University College of Science in Kolkata, as well as an Honorary Professor of Biochemistry.
He was elected to the councils of the ‘Kolkata School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,’ the ‘Indian Research Fund Association,’ and Kolkata’s ‘Zoological Garden.’
He was the first Indian to be elected Chairman of the Managing Body of the Bengal Branch of the Indian Red Cross Society.
Major Projects of Upendranath Brahmachari
He made significant discoveries to medicine, most notably in the treatment of Kala-azar with the discovery of ‘Urea Stibamine.’ It exhibited no unpleasant side effects and was a good alternative to other antimony-containing drugs for treating the condition.
His groundbreaking work in the treatment of dermal leishmaniasis, malaria, the old Burdwan fever, quartan fever, blackwater fever, cerebrospinal meningitis, filariasis, leprosy, and syphilis is well remembered.
Achievements & Awards
He was awarded the prestigious ‘Griffith Memorial Prize’ by the University of Calcutta, as well as the Asiatic Society of Bengal’s ‘Sir William Jones Medal.’
The Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene awarded him the coveted ‘Minto Medal’ in 1921.
Governor General Lord Lytton gave him the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal, 1st Class, in 1924. For his many accomplishments, he was given the title of Rai Bahadur.
In the domain of physiology and medicine, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1929.
The British government awarded him a knighthood in 1934.
He was a member of the International Faculty of Science in London and the State Medical Faculty of Bengal.
Several major organisations, like the Royal Society of Medicine in London and the National Institute of Sciences in India, have given him fellowships.
Personal History and Legacy
He married Nani Bala Devi in 1898 and had a family with her.
At the age of 72, he died on February 6, 1946.
Estimated net worth
Upendranath is one of the wealthiest doctors in the world, as well as one of the most popular. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Upendranath Brahmachari has a net worth of $1.5 million.