Memories from Batch mates

Thanks Phillip

You may recall that I worked with Sinna at Kandy as his house officer and one interesting story that I recall is when I had prescribed something totally unnecessary to a patient admitted in the early hours A young final year medical student spotted this and asked Prof Sinna what the indication was. Sinna held him by the ear in his usual way and said, "if my houseman prescribes something ,there should be a very good reason for it" He then turned to me at the end of the ward round and asked me in Tamil why I had prescribed what I had and I replied 2 O'Clock in the morning Sir I could have been sleepy and his reply was "that's a good enough indication.'

Lawrence

Thanks Phiip for the reminiscence of our Professor Sinnatamby, a very remarkable man with qualities of the highest caliber. Least I can say, joking apart, some of us were terrified of him when we first met him. However, gradually we learned to appreciate his sense of humor and to respect his teachings.

            Many years later, after my graduation, I must say it was ironical that I came by to buy his House in Kandy that he had given it to his daughter as a dowry. I negotiated the sale of his ‘dowered’ house with his Son-in-Law, Paskaralingam, the then, Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister of Sri-Lanka. Needless to say his Son in Law and I became very good friends, following this deal.

            I remember very well, many years ago, your successful attempt to repair the old Fridge in a peripheral hospital in S.L. and got it going at last, thanks to you. The local newspapers were monitoring your expertise and reported it in the daily. Finally it was reported ‘’ he’s done it’’. You must have been very proud of your achievement as an Engineer cum Doctor

            Phil, I liked your picture of the Bible Rock and I shall, try and paint it.

With Regards

Sadiq

Reading Prof Sinnathamby's joke, I was reminded of  an incident at one of the surgical tutorials with Dr Niles .We were all seated around in a circle where there was a mix of our batch(some) and the batch below which included Babapulle. Dr Niles asked something and was going from one to the other, none of them having a clue. Then he came to Babapulle and asked "Baba  Pulle  have you any clue(to rhyme with Baba black sheep have you any wool?) When there was no answer Dr Niles started say Yes sir Yes sir" Those were the days-Cheers -Milroy

Dear Philip,

I saw the photo of Vijiy Ponnambalam, My good friend. When we were in the anatomy block, we used to play the hell out of her. One day she took out the femur that she was carrying and hit me in the head. Apparently I fainted. Needless to say she panicked thinking I died on the spot. To this day she remembers this incident and relates it to me whenever I meet her. With kind regards,

K. Harischandra, G. Piyasena.

Dear Phillip
That was a nice tribute to the memory of our dead colleagues. I certainly
remember them all but I remember Mercy Thomas the best, and most vividly. i
was a close friend to her and her death affected me very much. She was a
lovely girl and as you say would have made a very good doctor. Heather

Dear dear Philip,    Thanks a million million for the story and for
sending it to me.      I will thinkk of some myself..    See you down under
in Dec   Derrwik