Annexure 1: The First Editorial by Sisir K Bose
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1964; Volume 1: page 37)

EDITORIAL

On embarking upon the new road marked by the inauguration of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and this Journal, Indian pediatricians face a future full of promise and new responsibilities, though not without its share of uncertainties. As builders of the future, let us hope, it is the promise that will inspire all our activities. The uncertainties we shall conquer with the new unity and sense of purpose that we have achieved.

Our first task will undoubtedly be to put our new house in order, so that we may function as a well-knit, constructive and effective force in national affairs. The organization that we shall build must be so fashioned as to serve a two-fold aim – first, to foster, preserve and protect an over-all oneness among the pediatric brotherhood of India, and secondly but simultaneously, to promote full expression in thought and action amount all its components in all areas of this vast country. It will be for us to show that there is no contradiction between these two aims.

To us in India, as in all countries in development, pediatrics is more a mission than a means of livelihood. The Academy, as the avant garde of child health movement in India, has to discover the nature of this mission. This can be done only through a realization of the urges and aspirations, often unspoken and yet unrevealed, of a nation in making. The Indian nation is only about to come of age. And one can see only the beginnings of a real search for a national ideology – the principles on which the new Indian society is to be built. One thing appears to be certain – we are headed towards an egalitarian society based fundamentally on social justice. Where does the child stand in the scheme for a new social order? It will be for the Academy to give the answer, clearly and effectively.

Indian Pediatrics will be the instrument; we hope a worthy one, for the fulfillment of both these aims – a harmonious development of the pediatric fraternity of India and the achievement of its national mission. We shall not forget that in this arduous task the eyes of the world will be upon us.

Annexure 2: Editor’s First Thoughts on National Conferences
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1964; Volume 1: page 112)

A consensus among pediatricians who assembled at Poona for the First National Conference of the Academy was that new thinking on the planning of future conferences had become necessary. That they had already been exercising their minds on this questions was evident their minds on this question was evident from the very stimulating discussion held at the business meeting on the concluding day.

It is not merely the creation of a single body that will inevitably result in much larger annual assemblies than previously, that has led to the reopening of this question. Indian Pediatrics has admittedly taken major strides in recent years. An increasing number of teaching and research centers are now functioning. A new generation of pediatricians and scientific workers have entered the arena and introduced a new dynamism into the Indian pediatric movement. Our annual meeting has to be refashioned to meet the demands of the new and developing situation.

It is necessary, in the first instance, to decide what and how much may be expect to achieve at the annual meeting. There are obviously two principal objectives and a number of other less obvious ones. The Big Two are, first, the presentation of and deliberations on scientific work in progress at different centers; and, second, to give expression to organized pediatric opinion on national questions relating to pediatric services, teaching and research. And, then, the development of personal and human relationships, a sense of belonging to the same cause and the same country, an awareness of problems of different regions in their proper perspective, are among the other less obvious but no less important purposes of a national conference.

As to the scientific proceeding, in order to do justice to all concerned, it is most desirable to be conscious of the limitations of a crowded annual meeting. With the steadily increasing volume and variety of work, all that a presentation may be expected to achieve is an indication of the line of work and an incentive to further study or, alternatively, a very terse summary of the objectives of a project and the results achieved. Further, it is most important for all prospective participants in the conference to receive adequate and fairly long notice of what is coming and from where in order that the deliberations may be fruitful to all concerned. The time is now come for us to accept the idea of simultaneous sectional meetings devoted to the sub-specialties or important disease groups or contemporary public health questions of urgency, etc. rather than continue only with large plenary sessions dealing at random and inadequately with all manner or widely divergent problems. For such sectional meetings to be fruitful, it will be necessary to appoint competent moderators will in advance to guide the deliberations on the right channels.

This is not to suggest that there will be no provision for the clinical pediatrician and the general practitioner. Well-planned integrated symposia on major problems of curative and preventive pediatrics and prepared in advance by carefully chosen teams after adequate mutual consultation could fill plenary sessions with benefit to all concerned. Individual lecturers are of value only when they bring new and original ideas on the basis of work and research over a long period of time. Free short papers will of course continue to be an important feature of every conference.

In order to be able to express its views on national questions relating to pediatric services, teaching and research in clear and concrete terms, the national conference has to be properly guided by the Executive Board of the Academy. The Executive Board can fulfill this role properly if it functions as the watch-dog of all that goes on at the national level and in the States. Finally, in drawing the over-all program of the conference, the great importance of providing ample opportunities of building up personal relationships, particularly among those engaged in similar pursuits, cannot be overlooked.

When branches of the Academy start functioning in the different important centers of the country, regional meetings could serve as good testing grounds for contenders for the national conference.

Annexure 3: Presidential Address by the First President LSN Prasad
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1964; Volume 1: page 114)

Patna

I consider it a privilege to speak to you on this auspicious day in the history of Indian Pediatrics when all the pediatricians of India have assembled under one banner, determined to go ahead in the pursuit of their sacred task. It is a pleasant coincidence that we are holding the first National Conference of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in Poona, as it was here that some of us had attempted some years ago to have a joint conference of the Indian Pediatric Society and the Association of Pediatricians of India. We have been able to form a single body which, I am sure, will grow in strength and will become a powerful voice in the cause of child health and care not only in India but in the whole of the East.

The objects of such an Academy will naturally be to foster and stimulate interest in pediatrics and co-ordinate all aspects of work for the welfare of children. It will also endeavor to establish and maintain the highest possible standards in pediatric education and to uphold the dignity and efficiency of pediatric practice in the country. While contributions to medical literature pertaining to pediatrics will flow through its official organ, Indian Pediatrics, the Academy will also serve the public at large by bringing out booklets and popular scripts from time to time.

In the past sixteen years, pediatricians have been trying to do their best through either the Indian Pediatric Society or the Association of Pediatricians of India. We have, however, been asked often by the Government and the people as to which of the two bodies should be taken as representing the voice of pediatricians. Today this question can be easily answered. I would appeal to all the pediatricians of India to enroll themselves as members of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. We have now an unique opportunity of achieving our great objectives.

It is a tremendous task to try to solve the numerous problems facing the 160 million children of India. In drawing up any scheme for the welfare of children, we are, in the first instance, overwhelmed by the poverty and ignorance of our people as also the customs and prejudices of our village folk. And, the government and the voluntary organization devoted to the care of children do not seem to realize the important role the pediatrician has to play in building the future citizen of this country. We realize that in order to attain our goal, it is essential to co-ordinate our activities with those of the Government and other organizations. But, unfortunately, we are not consulted at the time the health plans of our country are drawn up. The initiative in this regard must come in future from the Government, both at the center and in the states.

The authorities responsible for shaping the pattern of medical education must give pediatrics the place it deserves in the undergraduate medical curriculum. It is hardly necessary to argue this point as pediatrics is largely preventive medicine applied to the formative period of life, viz. birth to adolescence. Besides, in our country more than one third of medical practice is directed towards the care and treatment of children. A the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, pediatrics forms a major discipline, and I think it is quite possible to so revise the curriculum for undergraduates that in every university the same pattern is followed. In the forthcoming All India Conference on Medical Education, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics should be able to place this view-point with confidence and emphasis. As regards, post-graduate pediatric education, I am happy to mention here that the tendency now in most of the universities is to start either a diploma in child health or a doctorate degree in pediatrics. I have only to say that in some centers, contrary to expectation, M.D. (Pediatrics) is still linked as an appendage to M.D. in General Medicine. This should no longer be encouraged as pediatrics on its own merit deserves to be an independent department with full representation on the university bodies. In Patna, pediatrics is a separate postgraduate university department and the head of the department has automatically his place on the Faculty, the Senate and the Academic Council. Although the pediatric department in Patna is categorized as a postgraduate department, it fully shares the load of teaching and training the undergraduates in the Medical College besides imparting instruction to nurses and health visitors.

The two principal limbs of the Academy, viz., the Central Office in Bombay and the Journal Office in Calcutta, should function in such a coordinated way that we are able to influence the Government and the public properly besides gaining the confidence of the medical profession in this country. As times goes on, we shall be able to establish. I hope, a central pediatric library which will go a very long way in encouraging post-graduate pediatric education and research.

The Indian Academy of Pediatrics should get busy in tackling our various problems in right earnest. The Academy could set up a committee to assess the nutritional requirements and to find out methods for wiping out the picture of malnutrition which is a common sight everywhere.

Another committee could be profitably formed for the control of infectious and communicable diseases. Work in these directions can be augmented with proper planning as the Government of India are keen on taking such steps as would speedily raise the level of nutrition and control the incidence of infections in the population. Compared to the advanced countries in the West, pediatric education and research in our country are still in their infancy and one would very much standards pari-passu with control of infections and malnutrition. I, therefore, propose also the setting up of a committee on pediatric education and research. The committee could start its work by first collecting and medical institutions so that recommendations for upgrading undergraduate and postgraduate pediatric education and augmenting research in the field of pediatrics could be submitted to the proper authorities in every state and to the Medical Council of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research in Delhi. Thus we shall start functioning by creating the nucleus of a Central Pediatric Library and by forming the following committees: Committee on the Control of Infections; Committee on Nutrition; and Committee on Pediatric Education and Research.

Another problem on which I have been thinking of focusing your attention is that of mental deficiency in our children. This subject seems to escape our notice as we are overwhelmed with infections, diarrheas and problems of nutrition in pediatric practice. I am convinced that steps should be taken now for sorting out our cases of mental deficiency and retardation as more and more knowledge on the subject seems to be accumulating. Ever since Garrod described the ‘inborn errors of metabolism’ in 1923, attempts have been made to correct some of these metabolic disorders with mental disease. The subject, however, assumed a new clinical significance when Folling in 1934 described the condition of phenylketonuria. In addition to phenylketonuria are now have a host of conditions, e.g., Hartnup disease, maple syrup urine disease, oculocerbrorenal syndrome, arginine-succinic aciduria, hyperglycinemia, citrullinuria, and recently a condition described as homocystinuria. In almost all of them there are some characteristic clinical features to suggest a metabolism basis and it may not be far from the truth to suggest that ultimately every amino acid may be found to be linked with some inborn disorder responsible for mental deficiency in children. Nothing can be more gratifying than detecting the cause and mechanism of mental deficiency in a particular case. I am sure if the urine of all mentally deficient children are subjected to elaborate chemical tests followed by paper chromatography, we should also be discovering new syndromes and new diseases with mental retardation as their principal presenting feature. In order to achieve tangible results in this field, one has to think of setting up a metabolic screening programme at two or three centres in the country, and perhaps the Indian Academy of Pediatrics could set up a special committee to investigate this problem and submit its report in due course. The Indian Council of Medical Research have been spending about a crore of rupees annually over various research projects and the allotment of funds is made by the Governing Body on the recommendation of its different committees and sub-committees. It is regretted that pediatric research is not being encouraged in proportion to the national need. I would therefore, suggest that pediatricians should be adequately represented on the Governing Body and also on the committees of the I.C.M.R. It is only then that research projects of pediatric importance will be carefully analyzed before sending proposals for sanction of funds.

In the last All India Conference on Medical education organized by the Medical Council of India in November, 1955, in Delhi, pediatricians untidily pleaded that pediatrics should be recognized as a major discipline and the undergraduate curriculum suitably revised to allow the students to stay in pediatric wards for at least 3 months for proper training. If you refer to the recent recommendations of sub-committee No. IV of the Medical Council of India, you will find that pediatrics is recognized as major disciple and that a candidate may obtain M.D. (Pediatrics) direct. Unfortunately, however, at the level of undergraduate medical education, the Council still retains its conservative attitude in spite of deputations led by the pediatricians before the President and the Executive Committee of the Council in the past. The net result is that the scope of training in pediatrics for the undergraduate remains extremely inadequate and the young graduate in medicine leaves the institution without acquiring even the basic knowledge necessary for looking after children in health and disease. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics should be able to prepare its case in such a way that this basic gap in the education of our young graduates is filled without loss of time and uniformity is achieved in imparting pediatric training throughout the country. At the same time, pediatricians should find their place not only in the general body of the Medical Council of India but also in the executive committee so that this important branch of medical science is not ignored or neglected any longer.

The WHO, and UNICEF have been doing quite a bit for the cause of pediatrics in general and preventive pediatrics in particular in our country. Books, journals and scientific apparatus are being supported practically to all the important pediatric centers, and it is hoped that international assistance will continue to pour in so that we are able to carry out a national reconstructive programme for the children of India in collaboration with the Government at the center and in the states. May I suggest that the W.H.O. plan from now to provide adequate assistance to the Indian delegates wishing to attend the International Congress of Pediatrics in 1965 in Tokyo and the Indian Academy should also go all out to help this cause? In this connection it may be mentioned here that we value greatly the organizational efforts of the W.H.O. exhibited at the time of the First Asian Regional Conference of Pediatrics held in Singapore in 1958.

It gathered that during the fourth plan period the Government of India are contemplating to set up three or four regional Institutes of Medical Sciences throughout the country. On the other hand, we have been requesting the Central Government to set up Institutes of Child Health on a regional basis at least for the last twelve years. In fact, in 1956, in my presidential address at the Indore session of All India Pediatric Conference, I raised the point again and several other pediatricians have been emphasizing the importance of preventive pediatrics from time to time but nothing concrete seems to have emerged so far. It is well known that the Government of India through its Health Department has been spending large sums of money on malaria eradication program and family planning. While it is gratifying to note that malaria has been almost wiped out one wonders what real results we have achieved in checking the phenomenal growth in the population or in spacing of the families. If we are thinking in terms of ensuring proper growth and development of our children uninterrupted by recent episodes of infection and if we really want the problem of ‘malnutrition’ to be solved, the answer is setting up of Institutes of Child Health by the Government of India in collaboration with the International organizations. I am convinced that mere increase in the number of pediatric beds or equipment in the different states will not touch even the fringe of the program of ‘Preventive and Social Pediatrics’ so urgently required to be developed in the economically under-developed countries of the East. Besides, we have to establish Child Health Institutes with a view to train up our child health personnel for increasing the tempo and level of preventive work in the field of pediatrics. I would, therefore, strongly appeal to the Government of India to include the establishment of Child Health Institutes in the Fourth Plan side by side with the Institutes of Medical Sciences.

In many Indian universities as pediatrics has still a minor place, the pediatrician does not become academically effective in the way one would expect him to be. This situation is largely due to the fact that in some of the medical faculties and the academic councils of our universities the indirect voice of the pediatrician is not heard at all. The remedy lied in asking for adequate representation of pediatricians on the university bodies. I strongly appeal to the Vice-Chancellors of our universities to consider the basic fact that in many countries pediatrics is an established major discipline and in Russia it even forms a separate faculty. The universities in our country are autonomous bodies and not bound down by the recommendations of the Medical Council of India and, therefore, they may take decisions in the best interest of medical education keeping in view the needs of the Indian population.

Although the Indian Academy of Pediatrics is just inaugurated, it will have the distinction of starting with a back-ground of rich experience. The Academy, although technically a new organization, registered on the 3rd of December, 1963, is virtually an extension of the personalities of the Indian Pediatric Society and the Association of Pediatricians of India. Similarly, its official organ "Indian Pediatrics," the first issue of which is before you, represents the accumulated experience of the Indian Journal of Child Health and the Journal of the Indian Pediatric Society. It is our fervent hope and ambition that this new pediatric journal will help the Academy in propagating its far-flung activities and that it will prove to be the most effective organ through which the views and experience of Indian Academy of Pediatrics strong by including within its fold each and every pediatrician of India and let the Academy in its turn do its best to protect the rights and dignity of the profession.

It remains for us to contribute individually and also collectively in such a way that the Indian Academy of Pediatrics touches the lives of children in the remotest villages and in all the cities in India. Let the Academy grow to such a stature that we all may seek from it strength and inspiration in our work. Let us demonstrate our live of children in such a convincing manner that other medical and non-medical organizations do not hesitate to give their unstinted and sincere support to pediatrics, the fastest growing specialty of modern times.

Annexure 4: The Journal Mourns the Death of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru: A True Lover of Children
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1964; Volume 1: page 244)

EDITORIAL

It has been said that the passing away of Jawaharlal Nehru marks the end of an epoch in India history. This is true in the sense that with his demise the last of the Titans who bestrode the Indian scene for well over half a century has disappeared from our midst. This is not to say in the least that the purpose of his life has spent itself or that the purpose of his life has spent itself or that the aims he sought to achieve have become obsolete.

Jawaharlal Nehru is historically distinctive in that his life and work will continue to have meaning, purpose and application well beyond the limits of his physical existence. It is of course premature even to attempt an assessment of his role in Indian and world history. Yet, some of the main currents of the course of his great life may perhaps be defined. He was among the very few of India’s national leaders who visualized early the ultimate social purpose of the struggle for national liberation. He spoke to the masses in terms of that vision and the people accepted him instinctively and unreservedly. Nehru was again one of the very few who sensed quite early the inter-relationship of the Indian struggle with world forces. And, then, not many among the national leadership realized, as he did, - long before the attainment of power – the role of science and technology, of planning and research, in national reconstruction. His attitude to science and scientists was not one of mere patronage but to wholehearted acceptance born to conviction. From this very important stand-point, India was fortunate that Jawaharlal Nehru was there to preside over her destinies during the first vital years or independence.

But, with all that and more, who dares dispute the role of personality in historical development of that the departure of Jawaharlal the man makes a world of difference to India and humanity? And, what a fascinating example in personality development! A lonely and sheltered child growing up to be the darling of the masses, one reared in affluence and quite un-Indian tradition developing deep spiritual affiliations with the common man, one with no taste of adversity in youth maturing into a fighting champion of great popular causes! Verily, this was the miracle of a man!

Children of India and all those wedded to their welfare will remain eternally grateful to Jawaharlal for dedicating his own birthday as the Children’s Day. The great cause we serve could hardly get a more fitting and worthier recognition.

India feels forlorn; millions of hearts ask in anguish; When comes such another.

Annexure 5: The First Thoughts of Editorial Board Members
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1965; Volume 2: page 244)

REPORT OF THE JOURNAL COMMITTEE 1964

Indian Pediatrics, the official journal of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics commenced publication in January 1964. With the twelfth issue dated December 1964 the journal completed its first difficult year.

The beginning of the work of the Journal committee had indeed been difficult. The Executive Board realized the need of a starting fund but found it impossible to provide any to the Journal Committee. The Committee therefore had to proceed with the publication on good will alone. The journal staff and the press agreed to work for us on deferred payment. The Honorary Secretary of the Indian Pediatric Society, the Secretariat of the First All-Asian Congress of Pediatrics and the authorities of the Institutes of Child Health, Calcutta, placed the necessary space, equipment and furniture unreservedly and unconditionally at our disposal for initiating our work till such time as the Journal Committee could provide itself with the necessary office equipment and furniture. The Institute of Child Health Trust subsequently formally sanctioned the establishment of the journal office at the Institute premises for an indefinite period without any rent. Payment of certain establishment and incidental expenses to the Trust is subject to mutual adjustment and agreement.

We are thankful to the many contributors who have made it possible for us to bring out reasonably good first twelve issues. We are also thankful to members of the Editorial Advisory Board who have judged articles for publication. It must be pointed out, however, that we have to go a long way both in the number, quality and nature of articles and the manner of screening them if we are to attain the standard that we all desire. We are obliged to point out that dearth of articles suitable for publication is a real one and has often lead to inordinate delay in sending manuscripts to the press. The Journal Committee has drawn up a set of Instructions and Suggestions for Contributors and which have now been circulated among all members of the Academy. It is most important that these rules are observed by all contributors and that the referees scrutinize all articles on the basis agreed upon and send their comments and suggestions in detail to the Editor. It should also be stressed that if our journal is to complete with those of international status, more and more original articles on new observations and investigations, which stand the test of strict scientific scrutiny, are published rather than case records and case surveys and essays on various topics of general interest. Suggestions are of course welcome for a better categorization of different sections in the journal and on any feature that needs improvement and development.

The expenditure on various items, viz. establishment, production, salaries and honoraria, etc., have been kept strictly within the budget estimates approved by the Executive Board. In fact, much of essential and urgent expenditure in respect of furniture and equipment were kept in abeyance in order that remittance to the Central Fund might commence at the earliest. With a view to meeting the pressing needs of the first six months, the Business Secretary was able to persuade a number of firms to make advance payments at a discount for serial and/or long-term booking of advertising space. Towards the middle of the year, advertisement revenue started flowing in, thus stabilizing the financial position to a certain extent. It was thus possible to commence remittances to the Central Office, and beginning from July 1964 up to January 1965, a sum of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand) have been sent to the General Secretary.

The budget estimates of the first year had to be largely hypothetical. The estimates for 1965 have been drawn up with utmost care on the basis of experience and actuals. The Executive Board, it is hoped, will find them in order and approve them.

In accordance with the decision of the Board that the accounting year will be from April to march, the accounts of the period January-March, 1964, have been audited and submitted to the General Secretary. From the estimates for 1965, the Executive Board will, however, obtain a good idea of the actuals in receipts and expenditure for the whole of 1964.

Members of the Journal Committee and the Executive Board have, by and large, given their very best in time and services to the Journal. To all of them we convey our grateful thanks. We should like to state, however, that our policy should by all means be to strive to create a cadre of young and trained personnel who would take medical journalism as their life-work and thus win for us in due course an honored place among journals of the entire pediatric world.

Sisir K Bose, Editor
A.K. Dey,
Secretary, Journal Committee

Annexure 6: Poliomyelitis had a history even in 1966
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1966; Volume 3: page 60-1)

Since the outbreak of poliomyelitis in 1949 the incidence of the disease in Bombay has persisted at a higher level than that of previous year [12,13]. In 1951 among hospitalized persons in the principal towns of India, 541 cases of poliomyelitis were reported [14]. During 1945-56 a total of 1411 cases were reported from Bombay alone, and during 1950-56, 2002 cases were recorded from the Punjab [15].

Singh, et al, [17] in 1964 reported the results of their field trials with oral poliomyelitis vaccine obtained from the U.S.S.R. in Udaipur city of Rajasthan. They used a two-dose schedule in 10,000 children without any untoward effect.

The disease was made notifiable in the states of Bombay and Delhi in 1949, in the Punjab, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in 1952 [13]. The disease was declared to be dangerous in Calcutta and for other urban areas of West Bengal in 1959. In Andhra, poliomyelitis has been declared to be a notifiable disease in 1961 after an outbreak of poliomyelitis [20]. The disease has been made notifiable in Rajasthan in 1963 [17].

Annexure 7: Parting thoughts of Sisir Bose: The Last Editorial
(From: Indian Pediatrics 1966; Volume 3: page 447)

With this issue the present Editor lays down his office - making the end of the first three formative years of the Academy and the Journal. It is proper at this moment to remind ourselves of our aspirations at the beginning of the journey and take account of our successes and failures.

It is our hope that the struggle will be continued in the years that lie ahead of us.