Wongsa Dhiraj Snid (; 9 July 1808 – 14 August 1871) was a Thai physician and diplomat, as well as a member of the reigning

Chakri dynasty The Chakri dynasty is the current reigning dynasty of the Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand. The head of the house is the Monarchy of Thailand, king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin era and ...

. An early adopter of Western-style medicine, he was the

court physician A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts genera ...

for much of his life, and was known as the "Doctor Prince."

Early life and family

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid was born in 1808, the 49th son of King

Rama II of Siam Phutthaloetla Naphalai (born Chim; 24 February 1767 or 1768 – 21 July 1824), also known by his regnal name Rama II, was the second King of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1809 to 1824. In 1809, Itsarasunthon succeeded his father Ra ...

, and given the title of ''Phra Ong Chao Nawama''.Harper, Tim, Amrith, Sunil G
"Histories of Health in Southeast Asia"
pp. 23-26 His maternal grandparents were both traditional medical practitioners who served as

s during his father's reign. He was the half-brother of both Prince Thap, the future King

Rama III Nangklao (born Thap; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), also known by his regnal name Rama III, was the third king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 21 July 1824 to 2 April 1851. Nangklao was the eldest surviving son of King Rama II. ...

, some twenty years his senior, and Prince Mongkut, the future King

Rama IV Mongkut (18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868. The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization initiatives and diplomat ...

.Steensma, David P., Viprakasit, Vip, Kyle, Robert A., and Shampo, Marc A
"Prince Wongsa Dhiraj Snid-Thai Physician and Diplomat"
Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Nov; 87(11): e93. Following Thai tradition, Wongsa Dhiraj Snid spent much of his early life learning statecraft, administration, and

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

teachings. He was ordained as a Buddhist monk as a young man. During his time as a monk, he was mentored by an uncle, Paramanuchitchinorot, the future

Supreme Patriarch of Thailand __NOTOC__ The Supreme Patriarch of Thailand or Sangharaja () is the head of the order of Buddhism, Buddhist bhikkhu, monks in Thailand. His full title is ''Somdet Phra Saṅgharāja Sakalamahāsaṅghapariṇāyaka'' (). Ancient history As ea ...

. It is believed (though not known for certain) that he served an apprenticeship to learn traditional Thai medicine as well.

Medical practice

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid followed the footsteps of his maternal family and became a physician, serving as the royal physician during the reigns of Rama III and Rama IV. He was first appointed chief of the Department of Royal Physicians at the age of 34. Though he was trained in traditional Thai medicine, he quickly adopted more Western forms of practice. He compiled a textbook of Thai medicinal herbs in a scientific style, and was the first Thai physician to utilize

quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg ...

in the treatment of malaria. He was granted honorary membership by a number of medical societies in both Europe and the United States.

Diplomacy and war

Wongsa Dhiraj Snid's court duties were not confined to the practice of medicine; he also served as a diplomat and even a field commander. During the Burmese–Siamese War (1849–55), he led the Siamese forces that attacked

Kengtung Kengtung ( , ), also spelt Kyaingtong (; ), classical name Tungapuri, is a city in Shan State, Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is the principal town of Kengtung Township and the former seat of Kengtung State, a minor principality. Kengtung is locat ...

in 1854. He was one of the five Thai plenipotentiaries sent to negotiate the

Bowring Treaty The Bowring Treaty was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam on 18 April 1855. The treaty had the primary effect of liberalising foreign trade in Siam, and was signed by five Siamese plenipotentiaries (amongst them ...

with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1855. He was also among the signatories of the

Harris Treaty Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

between Siam and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

the following year. "Treaties and Conventions Concluded Between the United States of America and Other Powers Since July 4, 1776"

Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal gove ...

Legacy

The descendants of Wongsa Dhiraj Snid took the name of Sanidwongse (sometimes spelled Sanidvongse, Snidvongs, or other variants). Several of his descendants, like him, served as royal physicians in Thailand. On the 200th anniversary of his birth in 2008, he was honored by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

as a "Great World Personality", the 17th Thai to be so honored,UNESCO Bangkok Newsletter
pg. 7 and in 2009 he was featured on a Thai postage stamp. Among his notable descendants are Queen

Sirikit Sirikit (born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family who was List of Thai royal consorts#Rattanakosin Kingdom, Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhum ...

and her son King Rama X of Thailand, along with several other members of the Thai royal family, and prominent surgeon

Kalyanakit Kitiyakara Mom Rajawongse Kalyanakit Kitiyakara (; ; 1929–1987) was a Thai cardiothoracic surgeonKitiyakar ...

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wongsa Dhiraj Snid 1808 births 1871 deaths 19th-century Thai people Thai physicians Thai diplomats 19th-century Chakri dynasty Thai male Phra Ong Chao Sons of kings 19th-century physicians