Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta

Background

Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta was born on October 16, 1899 in Calcutta Ballygunge, West Bengal, India.

Education

Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta earned Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Calcutta, with a specialization in Haematology. Also he got Diploma in Tropical Medicine from Calcutta University in 1933.

Career

Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta worked severally as the In-charge of Civil and Hospital Transfusion Service at the School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta, and as senior visiting physician, Carmichael Hospital for Tropical Diseases (1942-1955). He was the chairman of Haemotological Sub-Committee from 1950 to 1955, and served on the editorial boards of Indian Journal of Medical Research and Journal of Indian Medical Association. He was a deputy director (1951-1952, 1953-1954), visiting haematologist and In-charge of Pathology Department, Islamia Hospital, Kolkata and visiting haematologist, Ramakrishna Mission Sishumangal Sevapratisthan (1956-1959). He was the vice-president, from 1956 to 1959, of the International Society of Haematology and Indian Medical Association (West Bengal Branch). Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta was also elected president of Asian and Pacific Society of Haematology in 1960 and Indian Society of Haematology & Blood Transfusion from 1959 to 1960.

Achievements

• Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta showed sandfly Phlebotomus argentipes to be the vector of kala-azar. He not only showed that standfly transmitted the infection from man to man but also in newly born babies through intra-placental transmission. He also identified the clinical manifestations of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis and established the haematological norms of Indians and showed that the nutritional macrocytic anaemia, which resembled closely pernicious anaemia haematologically, was quite distinct from it. Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta showed that iron given orally would cure even severe anaemia due to heavy hookworm infestation while deworming alone would not cure it. He initiated studies in haemoglobinopathies and reported the beneficial effected of spleen extract in thrombocytosis. Chitta Ranjan Dasgupta was the first to note that in West Bengal the incidence of blood groups B and O was higher than of group A and that 85 per cent of the population were Rh (D) positive. He also made extensive studies on the action of leucopoietic drugs.