ABSTRACT
Much of the historiography regarding sanitary policy in colonial India has explored the relationship between medical expertise and government action, and this is especially true of the government’s stance on the issue of quarantine, whether in India or in the international arena. This chapter re-examines some of these debates by focusing in detail on the career of one of the most influential figures in Anglo-Indian sanitation, Dr. J.M. Cuningham, who held the post of Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India at a time when India came under the spotlight as the source of cholera pandemics that ravaged much of the world. Taking a detailed look at Cuningham’s work and his relationship with others in government office, the chapter challenges the interpretation of Cuningham’s career made by the historian Sheldon Watts and offers a very different perspective on the role of medical expertise in government.
