In the rich canvas of 20th-century Indian medicine, Dr. Rustom Jal Vakil stands out as a figure of quiet brilliance and profound compassion. His life from the early loss of his father to becoming a global pioneer in hypertension treatment is a testament to resilience, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to healing hearts. Vakil’s story bridges tradition and modernity, proving that compassion and rigorous science can transform lives and elevate a nation’s place in global medicine.
Born on July 17, 1911, in Bombay (now Mumbai), Rustom Jal Vakil was the only son of Dr. Jal Vakil, a respected general practitioner, and Jerbanoo Vakil.
The untimely death of his father during Rustom’s school years left the family in hardship, but Jerbanoo’s strength shaped her son’s character.
A vivid memory captures her influence: when an English school principal kept them standing during an admission interview and declared, “I am afraid your son is not good enough for our school,” Jerbanoo retorted, “I am not sorry my son fails to get admission in your school. He might have picked up the bad manners of the principal who did not even have the courtesy to offer a seat to a lady.” 1 This lesson in self-respect left a lasting mark on young Rustom.
Rustom Jal Vakil studied at Bharda New High School, Elphinstone College, and the Royal Institute of Science in Bombay. In 1928, driven by admiration for his father and a deep ambition, he enrolled at St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School in London. Mentored by luminaries like Sir John Parkinson and Paul Wood, he earned his MB BS in 1934, MRCP in 1936, and MD in 1937 winning 27 prizes, including the Mead, Seymour, and Wainwright medals from the University of London.2
Returning to India in 1938, Vakil entered a medical world where cardiology was not yet a recognized specialty. Undeterred, he dedicated himself to heart ailments, serving as consultant at King Edward Memorial (K.E.M.) Hospital, Grant Medical College, and Nanavaty Hospital in Bombay. His mix of scientific rigor and empathy won him the trust of patients and admiration of students. By making complex ideas clear and human, Dr. Rustom Jal Vakil helped establish cardiology as a discipline in India and inspired generations of doctors.3
Vakil’s most transformative contribution was his research on Rauwolfia serpentina, also known as sarpagandha or Indian snakeroot. Rooted in Ayurvedic tradition, the plant had been used as a sedative and antidote. Over years of careful study, Vakil ran clinical trials culminating in a landmark 1949 paper in the British Heart Journal.
The study followed 50 patients with essential hypertension (systolic >160 mmHg, diastolic >95 mmHg), excluding malignant and secondary cases. After a two-week sedative stabilization period, patients received Rauwolfia tablets (serpina) for four weeks, with blood pressure measured weekly. The results were remarkable:
85% showed a systolic drop averaging 21 mmHg (range: 2–54 mmHg)
81% showed a diastolic drop averaging 11 mmHg (range: 4–34 mmHg)
Effects persisted even after stopping treatment 4
This made Rauwolfia the world’s first effective antihypertensive therapy, sparking international research. The isolation of reserpine in 1952 built directly on Dr. Rustom Jal Vakil’s work, and his 1955 Circulation review cemented his influence on global cardiology.5
Beyond the clinic, Vakil was a gifted writer and thinker. His books—Clinical Diagnosis (with A.F. Golwalla), Textbook of Medicine, The Romance of Healing and Other Essays, and Heart in Health and Disease show his ability to blend science with humanity. His essays, such as those analyzing medical themes in Shakespeare, revealed his intellectual breadth. His book Our Glorious Heritage, praised by President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, celebrated India’s contributions to medicine and inspired national pride.
He also conducted pivotal studies on rheumatic and coronary heart disease in India, introducing the concept of “intermediate coronary syndrome” (now unstable angina). As president of the Cardiological Society of India and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, he shaped the field’s direction.
Vakil’s pioneering work earned him worldwide respect:
International Albert Lasker Award (1957) – first Indian recipient, for bridging Indian and Western medicine through Rauwolfia research.
Padma Bhushan (1958) – India’s third-highest civilian honor.
Dr. B.C. Roy Award – for promoting cardiology in India.
Dhanwantari Award (1973) – as India’s most outstanding medical professional.
On September 28, 1974, Vakil’s dream took shape with the inauguration of the Dr. Rustom Jal Vakil Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre at K.E.M. Hospital, supported in part by his personal donation of ₹100,000. Just weeks later, tragedy struck: on November 20, 1974, Vakil died at 63 from aortic dissection and myocardial infarction.
He was survived by his wife, Jeroo Shapur Madon, whom he married on July 15, 1968. The couple had no children.
References:
Sumit Isharwal and Shubham Gupta, “Rustom Jal Vakil: His Contributions to Cardiology,” Texas Heart Institute Journal 33, no. 2 (2006): 161.
Royal College of Physicians, “Rustom Jal Vakil,” Lives of the Fellows, accessed September 15, 2025, https://history.rcp.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/rustom-jal-vakil.
Isharwal and Gupta, “Rustom Jal Vakil,” 162.
Rustom J. Vakil, “A Clinical Trial of Rauwolfia serpentina in Essential Hypertension,” British Heart Journal 11, no. 4 (1949): 350–355, https://doi.org/10.1136/hrt.11.4.350.
Rustom J. Vakil, “Rauwolfia serpentina in the Treatment of High Blood Pressure: A Review of the Literature,” Circulation 12, no. 2 (1955): 220–229, https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.12.2.220
MSM