Story of Dr. Shambhunath Dey (Image Source: X, Freepik)
Lifestyle Desk, New Delhi. Do you know that an Indian scientist was the brain behind 'ORS' that saved millions of lives across the world? At a time when the hospitals of Kolkata were filled with cholera patients and big scientists were in the dark about the real cause of this disease, Dr. Shambhunath Dey made a discovery that changed the history of medical science.
While in 1884, scientists like Robert Koch were believing that cholera spread through blood, Dr. Day broke this misconception and told the world the real cause of the disease. His discovery in 1959 made the treatment of cholera epidemic possible. Let us know the story of this great scientist who traveled from an ordinary village to the Nobel Foundation.
Struggle of early life and education
Shambhunath Dey was born on 1 February 1915 in West Bengal. His early life was not easy. The financial condition of his family was very weak, but he had the desire to study since childhood. He completed his early education in the village itself.
His uncle supported him fully for further studies and with his help Shambhunath was able to move ahead. On the basis of his hard work, he got a scholarship, through which he obtained a medical degree from 'Calcutta Medical College'. Subsequently, he completed his PhD in Pathology from 'University College Hospital Medical School', London in 1949.
Cholera challenges and misconceptions
When Shambhunath Dey returned to India after completing his studies in 1949, he started working at 'Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College' and later at 'Calcutta Medical College'. At that time, there was a huge outbreak of cholera in Kolkata and the hospitals were full of patients.
Although Robert Koch had identified the cholera bacteria (Vibrio cholerae) in 1883–84, no one knew how the disease worked. At that time most scientists believed that this disease spread through blood. Shambhunath Dey challenged this old belief and started searching for the truth scientifically.
The historical discovery that changed the world
Dr. Dey conducted extensive research on cholera between 1952 and 1959. In the year 1959 he made a revolutionary discovery. He proved to the world that the cholera bacteria does not enter the blood but releases a dangerous poison in the small intestine.
Due to this poison, there is severe deficiency of water and electrolytes in the body, which causes the death of the patient. This historic research paper of his was published in the famous 'Nature' journal, which is still considered a milestone in this field.
This discovery of Shambhunath Dey gave the gift of 'Oral Rehydration Therapy' (ORS) to the world. When it was discovered that the main cause of the disease was the loss of water from the body, scientists developed ORS solution. It contains the right balance of water, salt and sugar, which gives instant strength to the body. Because of his research, millions of lives are being saved across the world today.
'Science' magazine also gave special honor
In view of his contribution to the field of science, in 1978 the Nobel Foundation invited him to an international conference on cholera. Moreover, in 1990 the famous 'Science' magazine also published a special edition in his honour. This great scientist died on 15 April 1985, but his discoveries are still serving humanity.
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