Robert Brocklesby Davis (27 December 1911 – 7 October 1980) was a british-born psychiatrist known for his contributions to mental health care and education in India.

Davis was born on 27 December 1911 in Amritsar to Dr. George Brocklesby Davis, a missionary doctor, and Lucy Howard, a missionary schoolteacher.^[1] He was the eldest of eight children.^[1] In 1919, amidst political unrest against britishers in British India, his family relocated to Ely, England.^[1]

He was educated at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire and earned a B.A. in Anatomy, Physiology, and Psychology from Cambridge University in 1932.^[2] Davis completed his M.R.C.S. & L.R.C.P. in 1935 and his M.B.B.S. from Cambridge in 1936.^[2] During his house appointments at London Hospital in 1935-36, he received the London Hospital Prize in Clinical Medicine and Surgery.^[1]

Davis joined the Indian Medical Service in 1936 as a Lieutenant, becoming a Captain in 1937.^[3] His interest in psychiatry led to his appointment as Psychiatric Specialist for the Northern Command from 1938 to 1942.^[2]

During World War II, Davis served in the British Indian Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.^[4] He commanded the 80th Indian Field Ambulance (Parachute) and led an evacuation of injured soldiers through the jungles of Nagaland under enemy fire.^[4] For his courage, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1944.^[5]

In 1946, Davis became the Superintendent of the European Mental Hospital in Ranchi.^[6] Post-independence, he facilitated the renaming of the hospital to the Interprovincial Mental Hospital and opened it to Indian patients.^[2] He reorganized the hospital, increasing its capacity to 600 beds, and later, it was renamed the Central Institute of Psychiatry.^[2] During his time at the hospital, the renowned Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was briefly treated before being sent to Europe for further care.^[7] Davis introduced several firsts in Indian psychiatry:

• The use of electroencephalography in 1948.^[7]
• The introduction of psychosurgery in Ranchi, collaborating with military surgeons in the absence of a neurosurgeon.^[7]
• Early trials of new psychiatric treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy and insulin coma therapy.^[7]

He conducted research on cultural and epidemiological differences in psychiatric disorders among Indian patients.^[2] From 1947 to 1950, Davis traveled to London periodically, earning a Diploma in Psychological Medicine in 1950 while working part-time at the Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Neurology, London.^[2]

In 1955, Davis left Central Institute of Psychiatry and, along with his wife Aleyamma Eapen, established the Kishore Nursing Home, later renamed the Davis Institute of Neuropsychiatry, in Ranchi.^[8] The nursing home was named after his friend, Maharaj Kumar Raj Kishore Shahdeo.^[9] Aleyamma, a trained psychiatric nurse, had been the matron of the European Mental Hospital and the first Indian nurse sent to London for psychiatric training.^[2] Together, they built one of India’s leading private psychiatric hospitals.^[8]

Davis co-founded the Indian Psychiatric Society in 1947, serving as its first Secretary until 1953 and as President in 1954.^[9] He also contributed to drafting the Mental Health Act, 1987.^[10] Davis was a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK, and represented India at international conferences, including the World Congresses of Psychiatry in Paris (1950) and Montreal (1961).^[2] Davis became an Indian citizen in 1948.^[2] In recognition of his contributions to psychiatry and mental health, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1966.^[11]

Robert Brocklesby Davis died on 7 October 1980 in Charlotteville, USA, after a sudden coronary thrombosis while visiting his sister.^[12] To honor his legacy, the R.B. Davis Oration was established by the Indian Psychiatric Society – Eastern Zonal Branch.^[13] This oration is delivered annually at the society's conference.^[13]