R L Spittel Of a man with pen and scalpel
39th death anniversary falls today:
Sachitra MAHENDRA
“He belonged to that generation of scholars all of whom, though
steeped in western culture, went off the beaten tracks of clubs and
tennis courts into the wilderness where the Ceylonese habits, customs,
traditions, arts and crafts were studied and revealed to the world.” (An
extract from an obituary notice written for Dr. R. L. Spittel)
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Dr. R. L. Spittel |
Sri Lanka always can talk highly of the foreign-tongued scholars who
have penned its splendour and grandeur, and Dr. Richard Lionel Spittel
is one of them.
A surgeon, anthropologist, and a wildlife lover, Spittel breathed his
last in 1969 in the country he loved dearly.
Spittel was a hunter turned wildlife conservationist, as ironically
usual. He was the ‘Sudu Hura’ (white brother) to the Veddah, Lankan
Aborigines’ community, and he was so fond of the community. His baggage
was not full of luxuries, but a few essentials and gifts he had for his
Veddah-friends.
One essential item was the notebook and the pen; he will pen whatever
thing that comes to his mind. All his works are the results of his
painstaking research. His research consisted of Veddah community,
wildlife and the medical perspectives of the community.
His passion for surgery stood sway, however much hardships came along
his way. The period did not enjoy the advanced facilities that modern
medicine has invented.
He once developed an infection because he didn’t have rubber gloves
to use in surgeries. Spittel still was the fastest contemporary surgeon
in emergency situation, and kept in touch with the latest trends in the
surgical techniques in Britain.
However he could not avoid the reality of being prone to the
forest-related diseases.
It is Dr. Spittel who discovered Framboesia tropica and malaria among
the Veddah community. He always emphasised the right of the communities
of Veddhas, Rodiyas and Kinnarayas to have protection, especially from
diseases.
He had a very strong backing from the family for his research. His
wife Clarie van Dort knew him, and his daughter Christine Spittel tagged
along his wild treks, inspiring whenever something frustrates the
doctor. The father’s constant travel inspired the writing of Christine
Spittel as well.
 Dr.
R L Spittel’s book list
A Basis of Surgical Ward Work (Colombo: 1915)
Framboesia Tropica (Colombo: 1923)
Wild Ceylon (Colombo: 1924)
Essentials of Surgery (Colombo: 1932)
Far Off Things (Colombo: 1933)
Savage Sanctuary (London: 1941)
Vanished Trails (Oxford: 1950)
Where the White Sambhur Roams (London: 1951)
Wild White Boy (London: 1958)
Brave Island (Colombo: 1966) co-authored with Christine Wilson.
Courtesy: Richard Boyle
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