Richard Lionel Spittel, (commonly known as ''Dr. R. L. Spittel'') (9 December 1881 – 3 September 1969) was a Ceylonese

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and

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. He was one of the foremost experts on the Vedda community.

Education and career

Richard Lionel Spittel was born in

Tangalle Tangalle ( Sinhala තංගල්ල , ) (also known as Tangalla) is a large town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is one of the largest towns in southern province. It is located south of Co ...

on 9 December 1881, the fourth child of Dr Frederick George Spittel (1853–1943) (who later became a District Medical Officer in Ceylon Health Service) and Zilia Eleanor Andree née Jansz (1855–?). Spittel received his education at

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a Single-sex education, boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Joseph Marsh (priest), Joseph Mar ...

and the Ceylon Medical College, where he passed LMS in 1905. Thereafter he joined the government medical service and was sent to

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in 1906 to complete his higher education. There he finished conjoint diploma in 1908 and took

FRCS Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, ...

in 1909. Returning to Ceylon in 1910, he was appointed the Third Surgeon at the

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Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

. Going on to be a senior surgeon and a lecturer at the Ceylon Medical College, he retired in 1935, yet worked as a consultant surgeon and was made a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1942 and a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

in 1950 for his services towards medicine and surgery. A lifelong member of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union and professional body for physician, doctors in the United Kingdom. It does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The BMA ...

, he was the President of its Ceylon Branch from 1940 to 1946. He served as President of

Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon The Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon (abbreviated as: DBUC; ), known commonly as the Dutch Burgher Union (DBU), is an organisation of Dutch Burghers in Sri Lanka. It was established on 18 January 1908 by R.G. Anthonisz, Richard Gerald Anthonisz. Hi ...

from 1936 to 1938.

Author

An avid nature-lover, Spittel made many trips to the jungles of Ceylon, gaining much knowledge of the flora and fauna and the aborigines of the island, the Veddas. His studies on the Veddas made him and expert on this little understood people. Based on his ethnographic studies, he authored several books that gained much fame during his lifetime. His works include novels, poetry and academic studies.

Personal

Spittel married a fellow medical student Claribel Frances Van Dort, daughter of one of Ceylon's most distinguished physicians and a member of the

Legislative Council of Ceylon The Legislative Council of Ceylon was the legislative body of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1833, along with the Executive Council of Ceylon, on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission. It was the first form of represe ...

, Dr William Gregory van Dort, on 28 December 1911 at St Michael and All Angels' Church, Colombo.The Spittel Ancestry
/ref> They had two daughters, Christine and Yvonne. Spittel died on 3 September 1969, at the age of 87.

Bibliography

;Novels *''Savage Sanctuary'' (1941) *''Vanished Trails'' (1950) *''Where the White Sambhur Roams'' (1951) *''Wild White Boy'' (1958) *''Brave Island'' (1966) ;Non-fiction *''Wild Ceylon'' (1924) *''Far-off Things'' (1933) ;Poetry *''Leaves of the Jungle'' ;Medical books *''A Basis of Surgical Ward Work'' (1915) * ''A Preliminary Course of Surgery'' (1918) *''Framboesia Tropica'' (1923) *''Essentials of Surgery''

External links and References

R. L. Spittel, C.M.G., C.B.E., L.M.S., F.R.C.S.

British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...

, 1969
Dr. R. L. Spittel: Surgeon of the wilderness

Continuing the saga of Richard Spittel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spittel, Richard Lionel 1881 births 1969 deaths 20th-century poets Academic staff of Ceylon Medical College Alumni of Ceylon Medical College Alumni of Royal College, Colombo Burgher people Sri Lankan journalists Burgher poets Burgher writers Ceylonese Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Ceylonese Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George People from British Ceylon Sri Lankan surgeons