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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

doctors and he applied quinine in the form of Thai pills to treat fever. He also published

encyclopedia on Thai herbal medication. Eventually, with his accomplishments in medical
services, he was appointed an associate fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine in 1853.

The prince’s son and descendants subsequently were engaged in western medicine, six being
royal physicians and two professors in medical school. (Sanya Sukpanichnant, 2021).

King Rama V established Siriraj Hospital as the first Royal Hospital on 26 April 1888 to
offer treatment in western medicine as well as Thai traditional medicine. In 1890, the king

established the first medical school within this hospital which later was named the Royal
Medical College in 1900 (now the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University).

During the early years, medical students learned both western and Thai traditional medicine.
Dr. George B. McFarland (Phra Ach Vidyagama) was a director of western medicine after

completing his study in medicine and dentistry in the United States. He was born in Siam
(now Thailand) where his father, Samuel G. McFarland, was an American missionary. On the other

hand, the teaching of Thai traditional medicine was conducted by Mom Chao Jeak Thinakorn
who was a nephew of King Rama II. Soon after, under the royal support by King Rama V,

Phra Phitsanuk Prasatvej, an instructor in Thai traditional medicine at Royal medical college,
gathered medical texts from all over the country, cross-checked the accuracy with the royal

medical texts, and published a book titled “Paeth Satr Songkrao” in 1907, pointing to the
popularity of Thai traditional medicine. Unfortunately, the Thai traditional medicine teaching

was not able to sustain competition with western medicine and the teaching discontinued
when the Royal medical college became a faculty of medicine under Chulalongkorn University,

the first university in Siam established by King Rama VI in 1917. (Sangvichien, 1983) The curriculum
changed from a certificate to a medical degree (a 6 year course) with the first MD class graduated

in 1929. (Committee for publishing Siriraj 120 years, 2008)
Queen Saovabha Bhongsri (Somdej Phra Sri Phacharin Dra Borom Rachininath Phra Borom

Racha Chonnanee Phanpiluang), the Queen mother of King Rama VI and King Rama VII, was the
president of the Red Unalom Society of Siam in 1893 (now the Thai Red Cross Society) which

was established to ease the suffering during the war with the French (the Ror Sor 112 war).
The society raised funds and provided support to the soldiers and ordinary people suffer-

ing from the war. King Rama V then brought the society under his patronage. Thereafter,
King Rama VI established Chulalongkorn Hospital (now King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital)

under the supervision by the society in 1914. The society eventually changed to the Thai Red
Cross Society in 1939. Queen Savang Vadhana (Somdej Phra Srisavarin Thira Borom Racha

Thevi Phra Phanvassa Aiyikachao), the Queen Grandmother of King Rama VIII and King Rama IX,

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