Geri Jayasekera and the 'Dancing couple', 1960 entrants, medical batch, Colombo, Sri Lanka,

Please click on the web-link below with speakers on:-


https://youtu.be/bA18TtCxayE

Visit to the Colombo Port, Public Health trip, Colombo, Sri Lanka, mid 1960s.

Geri acting the 'One-armed fiddler', Reunion, 1960 Medical Entrants Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Please click on web-link below with speakers on:-

https://youtu.be/i6P4J-2SAqQ

Cartoons drawn by Lalith Mendis during medical student days

Milroy, Nawa & Prof Fonseka

Chapman, ..., OER Abheyaratne, Ranasinghe, Bibile, Sivalingam, Prof Fonseka

At a CoMSAA annual meeting, Beruwala.

Nalini  & Daya

Nihal Thenabadu

Nihal, Daya & Nalini.

Vipula, Queenie & Philip

Philip

Sammarasiri & 'Nana'

Piyaseeli & Wedi

Colin & better half.

Obituary - Dr. S.J. Stephen

Terrence Rohan Chinniah

Yesterday at 12:28 ·

With Great Sadness we inform Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon, Dr Samuel Jeyarajah Stephen, was called to rest in Sydney Australia.
He was past president of Sri Lanka Medical Association, College of Surgeons Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Heart Association.
You have been an Inspiration and Beacon to many, Gentle and Humble.
... See more

 

My dear Benita,
I read about your loss on a posting by Dr. Terrence Chinnaiah. It really tugged my heart strings. 'Steve' was such a gentle soul. He was calm, unruffled and a source for wise words. I really admired him. Our condolences go to you in your time of bereavement.
Philip & Family 

' 'No Man is an Island' - John Donne

'No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee'.

s

1960 Medical Entrants, Kynsey Road, Colombo, Reunion, 2002

Please click on the web-link below with speakers on :-

https://youtu.be/bOQJGW4X3O0

Our teachers and their cars in the 1960s

Part 6, . Our teachers and their cars in the 1960s

Cars are status symbols in a very big way to-day. Do you remember the cars owned by our teachers during our student days? I am sure that you would have had very 'close encounters' with these cars and their occupants. Please try to rack your memory for those memorable incidents.

1. Ernie Pieries VP - Green, two tone, Austin Cambridge 55. This was parked near his ward in the mornings.

2. Dr Wijenayake VP - Dark blue Opel Rekord. Dr.Wijenayake used to come ion an ash grey suit and wore tinted glasses. He was well built and smart.

3. Prof. Rajasooriya - Silver coloured Borgward Isabella.- A very good powerful car with superb suspension and road holding. We used to duck away from sight when we saw it on the road.

4. (Lord) Francis de Silva - Orthopaedic Surgeon - Mercedes Benz 180.

5. Dr.P.R.Anthonis - VS - Humber Hawk- The stamp of the Consultant in UK. 'Antho' used to read his morning papers while being chauffeured around Colombo.

6. Dr. Cabraal - Neuro surgeon - Humber Hawk.

7. Dr.R.A.Nawaratne - DKW Junior. A small car, with a two-stroke engine and front wheel drive. Nava was very mechanical minded. If the operating table needed attention he would attempt his best to put it right. His lectures in surgery once included the voltage parameters and current characteristics of the diathermy machine, used in the OT.

8. Prof Milroy Paul - Riley. This car was in it's time a marvel of British engineering. Milroy's car was black in color. Milroy would park it near the blood bank. On his operating day he would go round to the back of the car. He would open the dickey and pull out a pair of black 'Wellington" boots. He would remove his shoes and put the 'Wellingtons' on with the lower end of his trousers tucked inside the boots. He would then march to the operating theatre. The labourer in the OT would be waiting with his red rubber apron to tie round his waist and put the loop round the neck. The sister OT would put the cap and mask. With a barrage of verbal invectives, Milroy would enter his Kingdom. He would be wearing the same boots, inside the operating theatre. It was a sight to see him marching down the corridor wearing his boots on one of his operating days. He would get into his operating kit and would wear the same boots inside the operating theatre. 

9. Prof Ranasinghe - Peaugot 403.

10. Dr.D.F.De S Gunawardena - VS - Mercedes Benz 180. He had a problem with his vocalization and talked in a whisper.

11. Dr J.D.U.Austin - VS - Austin Gypsy (With caravan in tow, on Yala trips). One of my friends was doing an Anesthesia appointment with Dr.Lucas, Consultant Anesthetist. They were doing Dr.Austin's list that day. There was a man about 20 odd years, on the operating table, waiting for an appendicectomy. He was to be given a spinal for the surgery. He looked round and was getting scared. He saw the array of needles and instruments, sat up on the table and was expressing his reluctance for surgery very timidly. Big made Austin saw this, came to the side of the table, said 'Lie down you coward' and the patient obeyed. The 'Pentothal' was given by Dr.Lucas in a jiffy and he was 'out for a count'. The surgery proceeded and a nearly perforated appendix removed. Those were the days when 'informed consent' was not heard of and the Surgeon ruled the roost. 

12. Dr.Wijesundera - Lecturer in Biochemistry - Audi. Very conservative, rich, aristocrat. It was standard practice for medical students to wear white shirt and trousers. One of my friends wore a black pair of pants during a biochemistry 'practicals'. He was inquired from which school he entered and was given a scolding for not wearing white.

13. Prof Bibile - Peaugot 403. He was ever charming and his lectures were very popular. He created the State Pharmaceutical corporation which is even now, giving drugs cheap to our citizens.

14. Dr. Misso - VS - Hillman Minx. (Jubilee Model). We often used to see this parked near the Maradana railway overhead bridge.

15. Dr. Kottegoda - Lecturer in Pharmacology - DKW 3 = 6. A lovely 2 stroke 3 cylinder front wheel drive. This car had a superb pick-up and road holding. He used to take our lectures in  pharmacology. Unfortunately it was held in the hot humid New Anatomy theatre, at 2pm. Quite a lot of the listeners used to snooze off during the monotonous lecture. One day a lively student in the back rows, emitted a loud yawn, when Dr.Kottegoda was writing something on the black-board, on the rostrum. He stopped his writing turned round and told the class that he knew that there were a lot of uncultured chaps from the central schools and that he felt sorry for them. The fact was that the yawning was done by a chap from one of the 'prestigious' Colombo schools.

16. Dr. Ranasinghe - Lecturer Forensic Medicine - Mercedes Benz 180. Another 'aristocrat'. He ended up as Professor in Peradeniya.

17. Dr.Mrs Yoganathan - Lecturer ?Parasitology - Austin Mini. This was a bright red colour and had white blotches of paint on it painted at random. Those were the days of the 'Beetles'. Apparently she was 'doing her own thing'.

18. Dr.Thanabalasundaram - VP - Austin Cambridge.

19. Dr.Valentine Basnayake - Lecturer in Physiology - Bicycle. Dr Basnayake used to come to work in the morning on his bicycle and as far as I know, was the only academic to do so at the Faculty of Medicine Colombo. He was a good western classical pianist and was a member of the Ceylon Philharmonic Orchestra. He was later Professor of Physiology at Peradeniya.

20. Prof ACE Koch - Austin Cambridge 50, ash colour.

21 Dr. Bartholomews - VS - I remember his satin drill white coat and tie, and the orchid in the button hole of his coat, but I cannot remember his car. Can any one help?

22 Dr. Karunananthan - Demonstrator in Anatomy - MG Magnette- This was remarkable because 'Karu' used to talk softly and moved slowly - but HE, had a 'fast sports car'.

23. Dr.Jansz - Lecturer in Physiology - Ford Anglia (Square type).

24. Prof RP Jayawardena - Opel Kapitan. Ever the aristocrat, RP's car also was the 'aristocrat' in the Opel stable. He used to come round to the Pathology department buildings, to pick up his charming wife. Very often we used to see the two young daughters in his car.

25. Dr. Stella De Silva - Paediatrician - Ford Consul Mark II.

26. Willy Ratnavel - Pathologist - Mercedes Benz 180. A superb lecturer. His lectures used to be packed. At a time, when Hb% was being determined by the rough and ready, 'drop of blood on filter paper and match the color against percentage', he fought against this.

                As you can see that even with the limited number of models available at that time, the variety of cars was big. But in those days one bought a car for life and all were built to last for at least 20 years. None of them had air-conditioners fitted unlike to-day, when even the humblest house officer has A/C in his car. At the Colombo NHSL (former GH), you will not be able to find parking space for your car inside today. Almost all the House Officers park their cars in the House officers quarters opposite the NHSL. Land-rover Free-Landers and RAVA vehicles are common now with consultants. British & Continental cars are exceptions. The majority are Japanese and Korean. Toyotas and Nissans rule the roost. There were a lot of eyebrows raised when I, as Senior Surgeon NHSL, bought an 850cc Maruti Omni, converted it to run on LP gas, as I wanted to do my own thing for the environment. That nimble and strong Maruti Omni gave me very good service for 4 years before I parted with it and went for my third Toyota Corolla, a brand I found very reliable.

My husband who is a car nut jogged his memory for some additional information:

Parasit Lingam, Rover, “one of England’s fine cars”

Prof Abeyratne, Mercedes Benz

TDH Perera, Mercedes Benz

LMV Atygalle, Mercedes Benz

Dr Richards anesthesiologist, Mercedes Benz, with miniature traffic lights on back window

Prof G Cooray, Ford Consul

JR Wilson, Dyna Panhard, with a spare car to cannibalize for parts

CP de Foseka, Singer Rapier,

Earle de Foseka,  Turner, an English fiberglass bodied 2 seater convertible.

Dr Medonza, Mercedes Benz

GR Handy, Chevrolet

Kamalika Weeratne (nee Abeyagunawardene).

Incidentally, did you know that Sr Reginald Watson-Jones had a Rolls-Royce, with a number plate, RWJ 1. He was brought to Ceylon in the late’50’s to attempt some spinal surgery, on my sister in law’s brother through Lord Francis himself.

My husband and I, have been auto enthusiasts, from even before we got married, we used to do rallies in Ceylon, with the Ceylon Motor Sports Club. We still do Rallies here in the US, and my husband does some auto cross events, and he was second in his class at a national event, a few years ago in a Mercedes SL.

Prof Milroy Paul also had a red three wheel car, that students called the Red Peril.

Kamalika

Daya writes

L D C Austin-used to say that he could have a Baby Austin anytime he wanted

Batho I think had a chev

Malin weeratne had a volks EN 843 fitted with an altimeter

Small correction. The Mercedes Benz Gull-wing is designated 300 SL, to denote its 3 litre slanted inline mechanically fuel injected 6 cylinder engine, which was far ahead of its time, capable of speeds upto about 140 mph.

We are members  of a very active MB club, and this morning, 20^th  Saturday, we are motoring up to New Hampshire to visit a private collectors museum, that houses all the cars from A to Z.

Incidentally, today, a pristine Gull-wing, of which there are quite a few here, fetches about $ 400,000.

There is a company here called Gull-wing Service that deals exclusively with restoration of this and similar marques, that we have visited, and it is a sight to behold how they ply their trade. The place is as clean as a surgical suite, and they do meticulous work

Malin Weeratne.

I am quite familiar with Messerschmitt, having been a WW II buff. The  ME 109 was probably mechanically more superior to the early Spitfires, but was apparently no match for the Rolls Royce engined later ones and the American P 59 Mustangs.

Incidentally,they put out the first jet fighter as well, the ME 262, which fortunately did not see action at the close of the war.

Malin.

Copy of letter to Daya from Malin Weereratne

So you remembered the altimeter ! It was off a world war II airplane. You forgot the manifold vacuum gauge and the rev counter that I also had installed. I wonder if that car is still running.

Kamalika and I, visited a lovely private collection of cars, with members of the MB club, in a small town in the hills of New Hampshire, in the middle of nowhere, the area that we drove through with Nalini and you on the way to Montreal a few years ago. This is the only collection in the world, with a car for every letter of the alphabet, including x,y and z.

Keep in touch,

Malin.

Photos of 25 th Anniversary reunion of 1960 Medical Batch Entrants, Kynsey Rd, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Please click on each of the web-links below with your speakers on :-

1. https://youtu.be/vYdv2JtfokI

2. https://youtu.be/9sJue5u57_4

Rasamuththaiah's funeral

Csn48

2:52 PM (1 hour ago)

to Pearl, me, Ranjini, Daya, lawrenceratnam, Sidney, Udula, Colvin, Kirthi, Raja, Carlileqc, Kamalini, Vasanthi, Buddy, Sunil, Chitra, sugi, Shanthi, Asoka, Duru, “Devi, Derrwik, Chandran, Anikapota, Andrew

 

Thanks Pearl & Sidney for sharing.
A very fitting tribute to a fond farewell.
Ras was a wonderful colleague indeed.

Ras would have been watching the entire proceedings with a radiant smile and I could hear his words'-thank you machan' .
The 6 batch reps look so smart & youthful.
We can only share our sincere thoughts.
May both of them Rest in Peace.

Regards

Nana

Sent from my iPhone
On 14 Jul 2017Dear All,
& Sidney & I attended Ras’s funeral today. The Hindu ceremony was conducted in the morning & the crematorium service was at 1pm. It really was a reverent & fond farewell to Ras. There were well over 150 people & the service was conducted by Betty’s brother the local Catholic vicar. Sati Ariyanayagam gave an appreciation on Ras which was delivered with reverence & gratitude. Rachel form the UK Sri Lanka Trauma Group also gave an appreciation of all that Ras had done over many decades to bring peace & solace to the many of our fellow country men & women through the years of conflict & strife in our motherland.
& As many of you know by now Betty died a few weeks ago & the funeral was held on 13th June. Ras went missing a few days after Betty’s death & was found in the local Park. The cause of death was natural causes. Betty’s 2 sons Shaemus & Shaun had to mange the funeral of their Mother & Ras's within a few weeks of each other. Rasieka Jayatunge had been a great support to them.The SLMDA were there in full force & organised the wake at the church hall where Betty’s brother worked. It was a delicious cooked lunch which was shared by 150 or so. From our batch there were 6 of us in all. Anula had worked closely with Ras on the UK Sri Lanka Trauma group & had attended Betty’s funeral too. We were able to capture our group in this group photo & were able to share some time together.
> For Sidney & I Ras has always been a good friend. In all our meetings, Conferences in the UK or abroad & social events he & Betty were good fun, excellent company & always willing to help the events run smoothly & successfully. It is sad that both of them passed away within a few days of each other but that may also tell us something about their bond & love. May they both rest in peace. They were lovely people. I was able to speak to both Sons as I had met them many years ago as little boys accompanying Ras & Betty. The fund set up is still open and contributions are welcome. Punchi & Sati are managing it. Hope you are well & look forward to our reunion next year. Love & Best Wishes Sidney & Pearl
 Philip, Please forward to others as I am sending to addresses I had!!
 Dear Pearl

Many thanks for mentioning the funds to those who may not have known about it.

I am resending the account details for the benefit of those who may wish to contribute:

Name: Instant Saver

Account 46516409

Sort code:60 13 10

Branch: Natwest Lewisham

As it is an exclusive account opened for the purpose of the fund, there is no need to add my name( many banks restrict the number of characters)  save for a reference with the payee’s name so that I can identify the donor.

Many thanks to those who have already contributed. I will arrange for an acknowledgement to be forwarded to the contributors in due course.

Sati

Veerasiri

               

Attachments2:19 AM (4 hours ago)

               

to Pearl, me, Ranjini, Daya, lawrenceratnam, Sidney, Udula, Colvin, Kirthi, Raja, Carlileqc, Kamalini, Vasanthi, Buddy, Nana, Sunil, Chitra, sugi, Shanthi, Asoka, Duru, “Devi, Derrwik, Chandran, Anikapota

Dear Pearl,

Thank you for this wonderful piece of writing. I think you captured all that was beautiful about the funeral. I felt proud to be a Sri Lankan. I also felt that Rasa was looking down on the proceedings with an approving nod and a his usual beautiful smile.

The Eulogy Sati delivered was exceptional. Put simply, quite the best I had heard anywhere. He captured Rasa's early life, time spent in Med. School and the very fulfilling time spent as a Medic with the support of his soul mate Betty.

RIP Rasa, my friend.

BW,

Punchi

Asoka Jayaweera

               

2:49 AM (3 hours ago)

               

to Veerasiri, Pearl, me, Ranjini, Daya, lawrenceratnam, Sidney, Udula, Colvin, Kirthi, Raja, Carlileqc, Kamalini, Vasanthi, Buddy, Nana, Sunil, Chitra, sugi, Shanthi, Duru, “Devi_Jesudaso., Derrwik, Chandran, Anikapota

Thank you both for keeping me informed. Sad of course but at our age, I am no longer surprised by sad news like this, and how often partners follow each other fortuitously?-Maybe.

The story of Koch's clock tower, Kynsey road, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Dr.Edwin Lawson Koch -
The second Principal of the Ceylon Medical College
.
The founder of the family in Ceylon was his great grandfather, Godfried Koch of Brandenberg, who came to the East in 1755. Edwin was born on 29 November 1838, the son of Johann Godfried Koch (Lawyer)and Angenita Dorothea Aldons, at Jaffna, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He had his early education at Jaffna, and must have spent many a dreamy afternoon among the beautiful, sturdy ramparts of the old Dutch Fort where his grandfather had served as a Lieutenant (Artillery) Johann Godfried Koch in the VOC .At the age of twenty he won a government scholarship which enabled him to enter the Medical College at Calcutta. There he further distinguished himself. Besides other prizes he won in 1862 a Gold Medal and the prize for General Proficiency. At Calcutta he met and afterwards married Miss Emma Millar. He began his professional career in Ceylon as a Government doctor on the 25th July 1862. ‘As a writer he was of the highest order’. ‘He published information about the Medical history of Ceylon’. Dr. Koch was one of the three lecturers - Drs. Andree
and Vanderstraaten being the other two. In 1875 he succeeded Dr. Loos as the Principal of the Medical School which post he held till his tragic and untimely death two years later.
The late Dr. J. L. Vanderstraaten, also famous in his time, described him as "a bold surgeon, a successful physician and an expert obstetrician." The year 1877 will always be remembered as the saddest in the history of the Ceylon Medical College. On November 9th, of that year Dr. J. C. Evarts, demonstrator in Anatomy, and a brilliant and promising young doctor, received a wound while assisting Dr. Koch, Surgeon of the General Hospital. In spite of Dr. Koch's skillful medical attention, the young doctor died on November 17th from the effects of blood poisoning.
Within less than a month of the death of Dr.Evarts, Dr. Koch himself was similarly infected from the result of a slight scratch sustained in the course of a post mortem. All the best doctors in the island hurried to his bedside, including Dr. Pieter, Daniel Anthonisz of Galle, and the Head of the Medical Department, Dr. Kynsey. But even their combined efforts were of no avail. He died within a week of getting the injury on December 20th, 1877 when he was only 39 years old, two years after his appointment as Principal .
" His short life was full of good deeds,…, he served the poor with Special generosity and devotion, and was widely known and love as their benefactor and friend’.
The grateful fishermen of Mutwal paid a striking tribute to his memory at his funeral, by spreading white cloth all along the route from his home to the cemetery gate His son, Dr. Vincent Koch, was given a medical education in Great Britain with subscriptions offered by a grateful public.
The following stanzas are from a poem written in his honor on behalf of the Freemasons of India:
Wail, Lanka's sons. We grieve to-day, For him whom Death has snatched away ;
Whose skill oft bade the tyrant stay , Successfully.
Yet not for him we grieve, for all
Before that awful scythe must fall
The loss is ours ; who heard the call resignedly,
We mourn the heart that soothed our grief;
The kindly hand that brought relief;
The voice, whose music, all too brief, fell soothingly.
We mourn the MAN, whose honest brow,
Still looking skyward, taught us how
To live, to work, to trust, to bow—The end to see.
We miss the skillful master-mind}Who taught us how to serve our kind;
Feet to the lame, eyes to the blind,
Continually.
Peace to his ashes ! There lies one
Whose useful life, though scarce begun,
Has soared that highest need, " Well done !
More blest than we.

‘Through Dr. J. L. Vanderstraaten's efforts… a clock tower was
erected to his memory in the grounds of the Medical College by public subscription amounting to Rs 3,000, and Sir James Longden, the Governor at the time, induced the Legislative Council to donate the handsome clock at a cost of Rs 5,000.’.

‘As a centenary effort … a suitably inscribed marble tablet in order to make the monument better known to the present generation to whom his high ideals and noble life should serve as a good example’.
Web-link from which data was extracted
(http://comsaa.blogspot.com/…/some-milestones-in-history-of-…)
1. Portrait of Dr.Edwin Lawson Koch
2. The Koch memorial clock tower at Kynsey road.
3. The memorial slab at the base of the clock tower

Reunion, Kandy 2002, Medical entrrants 1960, Kynsey Road, Colombo

At the Mahaweli Reach, Katugasthota.

Kothmale dam under construction

At Kothmale