On the Scheme for Obtaining a Better Knowledge of Endemic Skin Diseases of India by Tilbury Fox (1836–1879): A Medico-Historical Overview

With the presence of western nations in India, a change started appearing in the medical scenario. The civilians and soldiers had to suffer from many endemic diseases like fever, cholera, plague, small pox etc. prevalent in India and it caused great loss to the new comers. To protect the life and properties and to gain a firm ground in the Indian soil, Europeans established various medical institutions that provided western medical care. In the course of time British got hold of the power in most part of this country. As the administrators were more engaged with the fatal endemic diseases, cutaneous disorders with lower mortality got less importance. Tilbury Fox, a distinguished British physician accompanied the Earl of Hopetoun in a tour to the East and reached India in 1864. Fox noticed the chaotic situation in the systematic study of dermatological disorders. He proposed a scheme to study the proper situation in this country which laid the beginning of systematic study of dermatology in India. Though his study was the steppingstone of Indian dermatology, but Fox got little attention in the history of dermatology in India. This article discusses about a brief overview of the scheme and the contribution of Tilbury fox.