Institutionalisation of Western Medicine in Colonial Kerala

Abstract

Various strategies employed to introduce Western Allopathic medical practice in Kerala from the late 18th century to early 20^th century are discussed here. The building up of the Western medical institutions like hospitals, dispensaries and medical departments; various Act, Rules and Regulations enacted concerning health; and the changing response/ attitude of the people of Kerala towards the Western medical practice are analyzed in this paper. This paper will give an idea on how the Western medical practice became the dominant form of curatory practice in Kerala. In the late 19^th century itself people from Kerala began to argue for introducing Western medical practice claiming that it is scientific, rational and having truth value.