I spent many happy years at the Lady Hardinge Medical College and I am always full of its memories. When I was in England in 1949, after having passed the F.R.C.S. I was appointed professor of Anatomy at the Lady Hardinge Medical College. I was just 29 years old , and did not tell my friends there that I was going as a Professor ,as it would not be appreciated in England . It was hard work setting up the Anatomy Department , but I was fortunate as the best students of the College joined the Department on graduating .They were young wives with young children , and doing a non- clinical job was very convenient for them

I was most fortunate, in that a former colleague and dear friend of mine, Dr. J Mathias joined the Department as my assistant and her help was invaluable. We had difficulty in obtaining cadavers for dissection , so I had to arrange to get cadavers from Lucknow by ambulance. They were embalmed in Lucknow . Mortuary built in the Department of Anatomy is still unique in Delhi where body are embalmed.

After the teaching of histology was transferred to the Departments of Anatomy , we acquired a number of microscopes from the Department of Physiology and we set up the histology laboratory which is appreciated by all medical students.

Canteen facilities were made available in the Departments and parking of cars of members of the staff was permitted in the area around the Department.

Male students were not permitted to register for post graduate courses. When I was Dean of the Faculty of the Medicine of the University, I got permission to admit male post graduate students in LHMC. They had to be provided with hostel facilities, they were given top floor of the newly built post graduate hostel . I was accused of corrupting the moral of the students by allowing them to share accommodation in the same building, but there were no unpleasant incidents.

When I took over as Principal and Medicals Superintendent of the Lady Hardinge Medical College and hospital and the Kalawati Saran's children Hospital I moved the Principal's office to the Administrative Blocks. The hospital was completely reorganized and the operation theatres modernized . Vehicles were not permitted to drive within the campus, and most of the staff had very comfortable accommodation (houses and flats) within the campus. I still remember that the gardens and tennis courts were beautifully maintained and when I entered my office there were beautiful fresh flowers in vases on tables and cabins top The conference rooms had precious old paintings, photographs of all Principals and old trophies, cups and silver plates .

At the college Annual day, the distinguished chief guest, and the staff wore academic robes, was a brilliant affair. An outdoor stage was built and the staff and the chief guest who was either the President of India or the Prime Minister, distributed the prizes . The students invariably put up lovely cultural programme. I have no doubt to say - "hardonians" were exceptionally bright and hard working.

One of the changes that I had to make was to request the Russian staff of the Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital to leave, as the purpose for which they had been employed by the then Health Minster, Rajkumar Amrit Kaur, had been served and the Indian staff were well trained. They left with good grace, and left some very valuable equipment.

The experience I gained in Hardinge came in very handy when after retirement I was called upon to advice setting up the department of Anatomy at St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, I remember L.H.M.C, with nostalgia and will cherish the fond memories for years to come.

(This note was written for Platinum Jubilee Souvenir 1916-1991)