An Indian woman phytochemist without parallel

Did you know that an Indian woman scientist had a notable role to play in the development of anti-epileptic drugs and anti-malarial drugs? That the same woman also told us most of what we needed to know about the medicinal plants in the subcontinent?

By the standards of her time, unlike other women scientists, Asima Chatterjee did get recognition for her research while she was alive, but it cannot be said that she received the adulation and celebration that her male peers did. That doesn’t make Asima Chatterjee any less tall a figure in the history of Indian science, and the nation must be grateful for her pioneering work in organic chemistry and the sub category of phytomedicine – using plant extracts to treat various conditions, even prevent them.