I did a preliminary study on placenta.
There were many unknowns and misconceptions.
So before setting on any particular probing investigation, I cleared the ground or the granite slate (ගල් ලෑල්ල) pertaining to placental studies.
One of my supervisors was an anaesthetist.
He was a good one, too.
He had a peculiar disqualification.
Every bit of the introductory note I made he added so called scientific barriers.
In other word unnecessary corrections.
After 3 months, I called a meeting at the deans office and asked him to be removed as the supervisor or I am going to throw my research piece on to the dustbin.
This is the time that Television Dustbin character was famous.
Dusty Bin was the character.
He was removed and luckily I had 2 others.
Professor B. N. R. Mendis had the forethought to have included 3 in my proposal.
He had judged him to be unsuitable but I did not ask him, How.
I finish my MPhil in double quick time (kept the PhD stuff for myself) which was enough for my salary increament.
Basic salary at that time was Rs. 11,500/=.
Then, soon after, I was involved in a grand University Industrial Action against Mahinda Rajapaksa.
We ousted him.
Then, this Nirmal Ranjith was a podian.
Coming to NO and NOS.
NO = Nitrous Oxide= Vasodilator
NOS = Nitrous / Nitric Oxide Synthetase
Nifedipine and Nitroglycerin Vasodilators.
This NOS stuff is involved in anaesthesia.
It did not have any relationship to the placenta which I was studying.
However, he got a sample of this enzyme from UK for me.
Thank you.
I placed it in a deep frezeer for a future prospective study, if any.
By the way, I ordered a -90% Fridge/freezer for my study and it came after I finished my work.
However, it was very useful for my technical staff and most of them were sent to Japan or Korea or UK for their Enzyme training.
By this time, I excused myself from bench work coming from H & E, Era.
However, I was well into Haematological enzymes especially related to Laeukamias.
One day, I met Mrs. Ramadasa in tears.
He was in Pathology in Medical Faculty and Professor G. E. Tennakoon had already retired.
The guy who replaced him I had a sour relationship, not on academic stuff but on technical stuff, the underdogs he recruited.
I caught them filtering out absolute alcohol.
Details in my books.
She was in the intermediate grade and was not promoted due to lack of a research component.
I told her I would think about it.
Came and found the NOS in the deep freezer.
Talked to her boss.
Did the first bench work on NOS in Ceylon.
First a preliminary to see whether the enzyme was potent.
Then a simple control study.
She got her promotion.
I do not know anybody else had done any work on NOS in Ceylon afterwards.
This was the red hering.
Had I dig it myself in my study, I would have been in trouble on the first count.
Long and short of this story is that I met his elder sister in Melbourne who was an eminent Teacher in Melbourne.
I was reading a piece of magazine and read about her not knowing she is the sister of the guy.
They were amazed and I said according to British Etiquette we never ask the maiden name in public.
Which is not true in Ceylon.
I slept well yesterday and I felt it is time to bear open everything.
It is good sometimes to let things settle and the dust is no more to disturb the bystanders.
I haven't seen him again for nearly 25 years. He is doing well in United Kingdom.
By the way, the guy in Ceylon who became the Dean after him conducted a sour campaign against him at NPP/JVP style.
I did meet him casually and never did visit Medical Faculty.
But Visiting Faculty of Dental Sciences is almost a routine.
They have just celebrated 40 years in the New Residence.
