What are some interesting stories about accidental scientific discovery?

Indian social reformer Vidyasagar was born on 26 September 1820 at a village called Birsingha in Bengal where he did his initial studies under Kalikant Chatterjee in a village gurukul school. He subsequently shifted to Calcutta with his father when he was still a child. On 1 June 1829, he joined Sanskrit college and studied literature, painting, vedic studies, astrology and law. After completing his studies, on 4 December 1841, he received two certificates – one English proficiency and second one was given by seven teachers voluntarily stating his rare scholastic potential. In those days, Sanskrit college used to give honorary titles since 1829 like – vidyaratna, vidyalankar, vidyasagar, vidyavinod, nyayratna, nyaylankar, smitiratna, smitibhushan, vedratna, vedkantha etc. to name a few.

Before he got his college leaving certificate on 4 December 1841, he had passed the Hindu Law Committee Examination. The certificate he obtained for passing the latter (16 May 1839) mentions for the first time the title 'Vidyasagar', which has almost replaced his original name Ishwar Chandra Banerjee today. The certificate says 'Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’ was found and declared to be Qualified by his eminent knowledge of the Hindu Law to hold the Office of Hindu Law Officer in any of the established courts of judicature.' He made numerous contributions in the field of education in 19th century Bengal. But he also made an accidental scientific discovery.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar had asthma which used to peak in winter. So, he used to drink hot tea twice in winter. Within a few hours of having a hot tea one day, the asthma tendency or shortness of breath subsided. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was surprised! He called the maid and asked, "Did you mix ginger juice with tea today?"

The servant said no and admitted that he had made tea without washing the kettle in a hurry today. Vidyasagar asked him to bring a kettle. After maid brought the kettle, Vidyasagar was stunned! There were two cockroaches in the remaining tea. He got an idea!

After boiling cockroaches in water, diluting it with alcohol he made homeopathic medicine which he experimentally tried on himself and others. It worked and it is known that Vidyasagar cured many diseases with that medicine!

Everyone knows the name of social reformer and educationist Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, but how many people know the name of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the inventor of asthma medicine Blatta orientalis Mother Tincture? Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is the first person to apply this medicine mentioned in "Materia Medica" journal next to the doctors with reputed degrees.

Materia medica - Wikipedia

Historical Latin term for pharmacology Page from the 6th century Vienna Dioscurides , an illuminated version of the 1st century De Materia Medica Materia medica ( lit. : 'medical material/substance') is a Latin term from the history of pharmacy for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing (i.e., medicines ). The term derives from the title of a work by the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the 1st century AD, De materia medica , 'On medical material' (Περὶ ὕλης ἰατρικῆς, Peri hylēs iatrikēs , in Greek). The term materia medica was used from the period of the Roman Empire until the 20th century, but has now been generally replaced in medical education contexts by the term pharmacology . The term survives in the title of the British Medical Journal ' s "Materia Non Medica" column. Ancient [ edit ] Ancient Egypt [ edit ] The earliest known writing about medicine was a 110-page Egyptian papyrus . It was supposedly written by the god Thoth in about 16 BC. The Ebers papyrus is an ancient recipe book dated to approximately 1552 BC. It contains a mixture of magic and medicine with invocations to banish disease and a catalogue of useful plants, minerals, magic amulets and spells. [1] The most famous Egyptian physician was Imhotep , who lived in Memphis around 2500 B.C. Imhotep's materia medica consisted of procedures for treating head and torso injuries, tending of wounds, and prevention and curing of infections, as well as advanced principles of hygiene. Ancient India [ edit ] In India, the Ayurveda is traditional medicine that emphasizes plant-based treatments, hygiene, and balance in the body's state of being. Indian materia medica included knowledge of plants, where they grow in all season, methods for storage and shelf life of harvested materials. It also included directions for making juice from vegetables, dried powders from herb, cold infusions and extracts. [2] Ancient China [ edit ] The earliest Chinese manual of materia medica , the Shennong Bencao Jing ( Shennong Emperor's Classic of Materia Medica ), was compiled in the 1st century AD during the Han dynasty , attributed to the mythical Shennong . It lists some 365 medicines, of which 252 are herbs. Earlier literature included lists of prescriptions for specific ailments, exemplified by the Recipes for Fifty-Two Ailments found in the Mawangdui tomb, which was sealed in 168 BC. Succeeding generations augmented the Shennong Bencao Jing , as in the Yaoxing Lun ( Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Herbs ), a 7th-century Tang Dynasty treatise on herbal medicine. Hippocrates [ edit ] In Greece, Hippocrates (born 460 BC) was a philosopher later known as the Father of Medicine. He founded a school of medicine that focused on treating the causes of disease rather than its symptoms. Disease was dictated by natural laws and therefore could be treated through close observation of symptoms. His treatises, Aphorisms and Prognostics , d

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Materia_medica

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar - Wikipedia

Indian educator and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar CIE (26 September 1820 – 29 July 1891), [1] born Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay , was an Indian educator and social reformer . [2] His efforts to simplify and modernise Bengali prose were significant. He also rationalised and simplified the Bengali alphabet and type, which had remained unchanged since Charles Wilkins and Panchanan Karmakar had cut the first (wooden) Bengali type in 1780. He is considered the "father of Bengali prose". [3] . He was the most prominent campaigner for Hindu widow remarriage, petitioning the Legislative council despite severe opposition, including a counter petition (by Radhakanta Deb and the Dharma Sabha ) which had nearly four times as many signatures. [4] [5] Even though widow remarriage was considered a flagrant breach of Hindu customs and was staunchly opposed, Lord Dalhousie personally finalised the bill and the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act , 1856 was passed. [6] [7] He so excelled in his undergraduate studies of Sanskrit and philosophy that Sanskrit College in Calcutta, where he studied, gave him the honorific title " Vidyasagar " ("Ocean of Knowledge"; from Sanskrit , Vidya "knowledge" and Sagar "ocean"). [8] Biography [ edit ] Birthplace of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Birsingha, Paschim Medinipur District Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay was born in a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family to Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and Bhagavati Devi at Birsingha village in Paschim Medinipur District (erstwhile undivided Midnapore District) [9] on 26 September 1820. The family originally hailed from Banamalipur situated in present-day Hooghly district . [10] [11] [12] At the age of 9, he went to Calcutta and started living in Bhagabat Charan's house in Burrabazar , where Thakurdas had already been staying for some years. Ishwar felt at ease amidst Bhagabat's large family and settled down comfortably in no time. Bhagabat's youngest daughter Raimoni's motherly and affectionate feelings towards Ishwar touched him deeply and had a strong influence on his later revolutionary work towards the upliftment of women's status in India . His quest for knowledge was so intense that he used to study under a street light as it was not possible for him to afford a gas lamp at home [13] He cleared all the examinations with excellence and in quick succession. He was rewarded with a number of scholarships for his academic performance. To support himself and the family, Ishwar Chandra also took a part-time job of teaching at Jorashanko . Ishwar Chandra joined the Sanskrit College , Calcutta and studied there for twelve long years and passed out of the college in 1841 qualifying in Sanskrit Grammar, Literature, Dialectics [Alankara Shastra], Vedanta, Smriti and Astronomy [1] As was the custom then Ishwar Chandra married at the age of fourteen. His wife was Dinamayee Devi. Narayan Chandra Bandyopadhyaya was their only son. In the year 1839, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared his Sanskrit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishwar_Chandra_Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidysagar's tryst with homeopathy in photos

A photograph exhibition inaugurated here on Thursday narrates how Indian social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar accorded patronage to homeopathy and examines how the legacy has survived today.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/ishwar-chandra-vidysagar-s-tryst-with-homeopathy-in-photos-115082001013_1.html

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