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of Mathematics and Science at Wilson College, Bombay. His father did not encourage his early fascination with electricity, and Dinshah told of sneaking downstairs to study through the night, retiring for a few hours of sleep shortly before dawn when he and his father would arise together. He took his university exams at 14, winning proficiency awards in English, Persian and religion. (In his spare time, he was to achieve competence in eight oriental and eight occidental languages.) The following year he divided his time between giving demon- strations in physics and chemistry and meeting the demands of running a successful electric doorbell/burglar alarm installation business. It was also the year he began his medical studies. At 18, having mastered the practice of Yoga Shastra and having been awarded a fellowship by The Theosophical Society, he added spiritual subjects to his oratorial repertoire. His reputation and experience as an electrical engineer earned an appointment as Superintendent of Telephone and Telegraph for Dholar state. Three years later found him serving as Electrical Engineer of Patiala state and Mechanical Engineer for the Umbala Flour Mill. His medical studies completed, in 1896 Dinshah made his first trip to America, where he lectured on X-rays and radioactivity, meeting Tesla, Edison and other scientific notables. A darling of the press, Dinshah was affectionately referred to by the New York Times as "the Parsee Edison". The freedoms, the opportunities, the stimulating intellectual energies he perceived in pre-war America left him with an inspired, compassionate optimism that future events could not dilute. Upon his return to India he became a social reformer and the first Publisher/Editor of The Impartial, a weekly founded "to of Mathematics and Science at Wilson College, Bombay. His further the cause of freedom in speech and writing". father did not encourage his early fascination with electricity, and The year 1897 was to prove pivotal, for it was the year Dinshah Dinshah told of sneaking downstairs to study through the night, became the first person in India to apply and thus effect a cure for retiring for a few hours of sleep shortly before dawn when he and _ disease in accordance with the hypotheses of Dr Edwin D. Babbitt his father would arise together. He took his university exams at (as in his book, The Principles of Light and Color, University 14, winning proficiency awards in English, Persian and religion. | Books, New Hyde Park, NY, 1876, reprinted 1967) and Dr Seth (In his spare time, he was to achieve competence in eight oriental Pancost (Blue and Red Light, or Light and its Rays as Medicine, and eight occidental languages.) 1877). The following year he divided his time between giving demon- During the plague years of the early 1900s, Dinshah's eclectic strations in physics and chemistry and meeting the demands of _and unorthodox ministrations effected a 60 per cent recovery rate, running a successful electric doorbell/burglar alarm installation in contrast to the 40 per cent recovery expectations of convention- business. It was also the year he began his medical studies. al medical practice. At 18, having mastered the practice of Yoga Shastra and having Responding to an influential Theosophist friend's urgent sum- been awarded a fellowship by The Theosophical Society, he mons, Dinshah, from his supervisory position in a major light added spiritual subjects to his oratorial repertoire. His reputation __ installation several hundred miles away from central India, trav- and experience as an electrical engineer earned an appointment as _elled to the bedside of her aunt who was dying from mucosa coli- Superintendent of Telephone and Telegraph for Dholar state. tis (dysentery). Upon arrival, Dinshah faced several handicaps. Three years later found him serving as Electrical Engineer of | The attending physician of record was a prominent Parsee and the Patiala state and Mechanical Engineer for the Umbala Flour Mill. Honorary Surgeon of no less a personage than the Viceroy of His medical studies completed, in 1896 Dinshah made his first India. The old woman revered him as a demigod, but contemptu- trip to America, where he lectured on X-rays and radioactivity, ously referred to Dinshah as "that kid doctor". meeting Tesla, Edison and other scientific notables. A darling of For three days he had to watch silently as her health continued the press, Dinshah was affectionately referred to by the New York to fail rapidly under a brutal but conventional medicinal regimen. Times as "the Parsee Edison". Although the regimen was well thought out and in conformity The freedoms, the opportunities, the stimulating intellectual with the best recommendations of The British Pharmacopaedia, energies he perceived in pre-war America left him with an Dinshaw saw that the opium administered for the pain was stress- inspired, compassionate optimism that future events could not ful to the heart; the catechu, although a good astringent, was a dilute. Upon his return to India he became a social reformer and _ peristalsis inhibitor; the chalk, intended as a binder, was an the first Publisher/Editor of The Impartial, a weekly founded "to intestinal irritant; the bismuth subnitrate, a local antiseptic, choked the alimentary canal; and the anti-flatulent chloroform was escharating damaged tissue. As Dinshah noted: "Thus she stayed two days more, drinking the poisonous concoction. On the third day she was in such a condition that she lifted her hands to me and implored me, 'O Dinshah, save me!’ Medically she was beyond recovery and I said with a sigh, ‘Call on the Almighty to save you. Dear girl, I have no power, no medicine of which I know I can be of service to you, but if you let me I shall endeavour to do the best otherwise.’ She nodded her consent and promptly I threw out the drug mixture... Here was my opportunity to test the chromotherapy of Edwin D. Babbitt. The woman was dying—she was anyhow as good as dead. I could not kill her further if I failed... I brought [indigo-] coloured pickle bottles to act as the slides... Within 24 hours the [100 daily bowel evacuations] were reduced to four a day; within 48 hours they came down to two; the third day Jerbanoo was out of bed!" eflecting an Eastern patience and restraint, and reflecting the slower technological pace of a pre-electronic age, inshah did not rush impetuously into print. However, before he could publicly promote SCT he had to be satisfied that he could exercise confident control of the procedure. Thus Dinshah embarked on a lengthy theoretical research project, producing remarkably precise and accurate tonation formula- tions. By 1904, at Ajmer and Surat, he had established "Electro- Medical Halls" for the promotion of colour therapy research, magneto- and electro-therapeutic approaches as well as ortho- dox medicine. However, early on he was forced to abandon the otherwise promising electric modalities due to frequent Dr Dinshah P. Ghadiali (1873-1966) episodes of nerve anastomosis and the inherent and insurmount- 38 + NEXUS DECEMBER 1997 - JANUARY 1998