The Tambaram Sanatorium railway station today has been replaced a hospital which was founded by Dr. David Jacob Aron Chowry-Muthu.
He staunchly advocated the healing properties of open-air environments and clean surroundings for combating this dreaded disease, necessitating the isolation of patients in sanatoria.
Dr. Chowry-Muthu had influential acquaintances, including Mahatma Gandhi, who shared his views on the healing power of nature.
He acquired 250 acres of land in Tambaram, and on April 9, 1928, the Sanatorium with 12 beds was inaugurated by Sir CP Ramaswami Aiyar.
With the advent of the BCG vaccine in the 1960s, sanatoria became obsolete, and the Tambaram facility evolved into a hospital for terminally ill TB patients.
Following his return to England, Dr. Chowry-Muthu became a reliable source for local newspapers on matters pertaining to India, especially Gandhi.