ABSTRACT

Dear Reader,

More than 100 years before India was recognised as the “Generic Capital” or “Pharmacy of the World, India was acclaimed for the “Materia Medica” and the extensive research on natural products by Sir Col. Dr. Ram Nath Chopra, the father of Indian Pharmacology. In fact, Dr. M.L. Shroff got inspired from Sir R.N. Chopra and started the first Pharmacy course at Banaras Hindu University in 1932. Every student (even veterans) of Pharmacy should know that Drugs Act, 1940 (later renamed as Drugs and Cosmetics Act) as well as formal courses in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani were started under his mentorship. DTAB (Drugs Technical Advisory Committee) was set up under his stewardship. The first edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia (evolved from Indian pharmacopoeial list 1946) 1955 was published with his contributions. “We are reaping the fruits of the plant grown by their sown seeds. We should make the same available to our future generations” said the biographer, Roja Rani. Prof.Harkishan Singh in J.Young Pharm, 2009 (Vol.1/No.3) had profiled Dr.R.N. Chopra (which is reproduced herein). Later Dr. K.M. Nadkarni came out with “Indian Materia Medica” in two volumes in 1908 with Foreword by Dr. R.N. Chopra. These are extremely valuable reference books for further research in Indian Natural Products.