Robert Brocklesby Davis
Robert Brocklesby Davis was a british-born psychiatrist known for his contributions to mental health care and education in India.
Early life and education
Davis was born on 27 December 1911 in Amritsar to Dr. George Brocklesby Davis, a missionary doctor, and Lucy Howard, a missionary schoolteacher. He was the eldest of eight children. In 1919, amidst political unrest against britishers in British India, his family relocated to Ely, England.He was educated at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire and earned a B.A. in Anatomy, Physiology, and Psychology from Cambridge University in 1932. Davis completed his M.R.C.S. & L.R.C.P. in 1935 and his M.B.B.S. from Cambridge in 1936. During his house appointments at London Hospital in 1935-36, he received the London Hospital Prize in Clinical Medicine and Surgery.
Career
Indian Medical Service
Davis joined the Indian Medical Service in 1936 as a Lieutenant, becoming a Captain in 1937. His interest in psychiatry led to his appointment as Psychiatric Specialist for the Northern Command from 1938 to 1942.During World War II, Davis served in the British Indian Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He commanded the 80th Indian Field Ambulance and led an evacuation of injured soldiers through the jungles of Nagaland under enemy fire. For his courage, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1944.
European Mental Hospital
In 1946, Davis became the Superintendent of the European Mental Hospital in Ranchi. Post-independence, he facilitated the renaming of the hospital to the Interprovincial Mental Hospital and opened it to Indian patients. He reorganized the hospital, increasing its capacity to 600 beds, and later, it was renamed the Central Institute of Psychiatry. During his time at the hospital, the renowned Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was briefly treated before being sent to Europe for further care. Davis introduced several firsts in Indian psychiatry:- The use of electroencephalography in 1948.
- The introduction of psychosurgery in Ranchi, collaborating with military surgeons in the absence of a neurosurgeon.
- Early trials of new psychiatric treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy and insulin coma therapy.