1.3 Spurstow (Medical Officer)
*Not explicitly mentioned, however, London was the largest city in the world, and they likely came from this hub of economic prowess*
The Medical Officer in British India was crucial, responsible for safeguarding the health of colonial administrators, soldiers, and local populations. The Indian Medical Service (IMS) was the official body of medical officers in the Raj. Its members were recruited from Britain, trained in medicine, and sent to India to serve both the army and civil administration. Duties were often providing medical care to British officers and soldiers in remote stations.They oversaw hospitals, dispensaries, and vaccination campaigns, conducted research on tropical diseases such as malaria, cholera, and plague, and sometimes acted as public health officials, advising on sanitation and epidemic control. Medical officers were frequently posted in isolated, harsh environments such as deserts, jungles, or frontier districts. They faced extreme climates, limited resources, and heavy workloads. Spurstow is one of the four men and travels to Hummil’s bungalow from his own district—it shows how thinly stretched British medical officers were in remote colonial regions.