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Faculty
of Medicine,
The VIRTUAL CLASSROOM |
DEPARTMENT
The Colombo
Medical School was opened on 1st of June, 1870. Dr. James Loos became its first
Principal. He also taught physiology and principles and practices of medicine.
In addition to Dr. Loos, the school had two other teachers; Dr. R. Andree who
taught Anatomy and Surgery and Dr. E.L. Koch who taught materia medica and
midwifery. The chair in Anatomy was created in 1927. Since then many
distinguished men have been appointed to the chair in Anatomy. They were Dr. A.
Gordon Smith (1927 - 1929), Dr. W. C. Osman Hill (1930 - 1944), Prof. P.K
Chanmugam (1945-1960), Prof. M.J. Wass (1960-1967), Prof. F.L.W. Jayawardena
(1967-1975), Prof. P.S.S. Panditharatne (1975 - 1998) and Prof. Rohan W
Jayasekara (1999 - )
The
buildings that made up the school in its early days exist no more. Change has
altered the landscape of the School several times in the course of hundred and
twenty five years of existence. All that remains of the early landmarks is the
Kock Memorial Clock Tower erected in 1881 to perpetuate the memory of Dr. E. L.
Koch, the second Principal of the School. Of the present buildings which
constitute the Colombo Medical School, the anatomy block which was built mainly
in 1913 is the oldest structure. From its inception up to 1942, when it acquired university status, the school was a government department. The institution, which began as “an elementary school” in 1870, was elevated to the dignity of a "College" ten years later and remained so until 1942 when the University of Ceylon was established and it was made a faculty of the university. In 1978, the different campuses of the University of Ceylon received independent university status and the School was made the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colombo.
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