Bank Street, once the financial nerve centre of the city, is home to several businessmen and traders. The Street has a character of its own — rows of old shops selling jewellery, garments, bakers, and stores that sell alternative medicines in the midst of the constant din of traffic. The Residency Road in the bustling Bank Street was once a landmark. It had one of the oldest bars (1884) in the city called ‘Rustom Fram Bar’ run by a Parsi family. Like the Rustom Frames, several others had to shutter their doors falling to competition. Some, however, survived to tell their story. On the Residency Road, a huge signboard “100 years of trust” hangs on a 100-year-old building, the external façade not preparing one to what lies inside.
Once inside, passing through layers of security and scrutiny, reveals the century-old regal beauty reminiscent of the Mughal architecture. A verandah that faces a courtyard open to the sky with natural light seeping into the pool of water, plants laden in a perfect row and groves of flowering trees
encircle the sprawling lawn. This building in Abids on an expansive land, once called the Abid Manzil, houses the residence of the de Souzas, who have been in the business of herbal medicines since 1917 and beside it is the office of J & J DeChane Laboratories Private Limited.
The de Souza surname that dates back to the pre-Portuguese era is probably derived from the Sousa River in Portugal. “Our family has been living in Hyderabad for the last four generations,” says Wendy de Souza, a Goan from Bombay seated next to her husband Dr Wilfred de Souza, the chairman and managing director of J & J De-Chane Laboratories. The de Souzas are, perhaps, one of the oldest Goan families who made Hyderabad their home nearly a century ago. Some early Goan families in Secunderabad have migrated to Australia, England or other Indian cities. Incidentally, the de Souzas’ home once served as the hostel for medicos of the Osmania Medical College before Durante de Souza’s son Dr John de Souza bought it from the Nawabs. Opposite the de Souzas was the old residence of N T Rama Rao and next to the former CM’s residence was Dr Sarojini Naidu’s son Dr Jayasurya Naidu’s homoeopathic clinic. “My grandfather Durante F. de Souza started the company in Hyderabad in 1917 by formulating medications that would be efficacious, free from side-effects and most importantly affordable,” informs Dr Wilfred de Souza, a member of the Indian Medical Association and president of the Goan Welfare Association representing around 2,000 Goans in Hyderabad. Durante F. de Souza, who was well read in alternative medicine, studied the diverse age-old healing systems of ayurveda, homeopathy and modern allopathy. He then married the three medical healing systems to develop a spectrum of herbal medicines to treat ailments both common and chronic. Durante, Dr Wilfred de Souza informs, designed a medical kit containing eight medicines and a chart specifying the treatment. The remedies were numbered from one to eight, and every bottle in the box could be used when a patient suffered from a particular set of symptoms. Early DeChane products came in the form of powders, which over a period of time diversified into tablets, capsules, ointments, medicated oils, oral liquids, granules and even injectables. “Soon, physicians across India from Kerala, Tamil Nadu to villages in UP and Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra started prescribing DeChane products,” says Dr Wilfred de Souza, a graduate of the Gandhi Medical College.
In the 1960s, Durante’s son, Dr John de Souza, father of Dr Wilfred de Souza, automated the manufacturing process with machines procured from UK and across the world. A century on, J & J DeChane Laboratories now has a modern manufacturing facility in Nacharam, one that manufactures a range of DeChane’s herbal cures, including its flagship product Albo-Sang in adherence to GMP norms. Today, the company employs over 250 people. According to some estimates, around 70 million people in India use traditional medicine and nearly 5 lakh ayurvedic medical practitioners are registered in the country.
“For generations, people across India have made use of DeChane products to keep themselves in good health at affordable prices,” says Rohit, who along with his sisters Dr Nisha and Dr Shaila are the fourth generation members of the de Souza family carrying on the herbal medicines business started by their great-grandfather Durante de Souza.
Thanks! This is definitely an remarkable webpage!
I just remembered the medicine named albo sang. It refreshed my old memories when my dad use to give us when we were small. He is no more. But refreshed my memories. And soon Google the company
Because I was too small I only remembered name of medicine
But I am happy to visit u online.
Well we still use chesoil. Good remedy for pain. Good work. Keep it on 👌✌👍
My father who passed away at 93 , used to use Dechane medicines even prior to my own birth in 1960. He has passed on this knowledge of his, I should unique medical system to me and I am happy to be its adherent.
I sincerely hope and pray that the younger DSouza generations continue the tradition in the same vein.
God bless them all.
My father Late Dr. Goverdhan Ram Gupta started his Pharmacy in 1942 by the name of Anand Medical Stores in Burhanpur {Madhya Pradesh} which was the biggest Pharmacy. My father was given a name “KING OF PHARMACY” by Princesses Street, Bombay distributors. In my childhood in guidance of my parents i dispensed all the medicines manufactured by J & J Dechane. Later on i myself started my own Pharmacy by the name of Gupta Medical Stores in Burhanpur, your company medical representative frequently visited my shop and given me few Physician Samples for my own trial. The products delivered great results. I like all the products of the company.
Wishing the company a great and bright future.
I am living in chennai.
We used De chane medicines for long period.
I am living in chennai, saidapet 600015.
Now no de chane medicines are sold in
Pharmacy.
Where can I get de chane medicines in my area????
Thank you for writing to us. We request you to buy your DeChane products on our website http://www.dechane.com
Or you can also contact
Srinath Medical Agencies
14, Hanumantharoyan Koilst Park Town
Chennai Tamil Nadu
R.E.Agencies
No.13, 21St Street
Ashok Nagar
Chennai Tamil Nadu 600083
Phone: 24711962
Please let us know if you have any other querries.
Why decil tablets not available online.Where can I purchase it in lucknow?
we use these products since childhood. wish to have these products for me & my families for so many lives.
Dr.Our family members are taking Fluzen for viral fever since 2016 without knowing your J&J Dechane. Last year only we came to know J&J Dechane. web site due to covid lock down and procuring Fluzen other new medicines.Nowadays my daughter is getting your medicines after on line consultation of your company.She likes The albovit powder very much.Why don’t you sell it in one kg pack instead of 200 gram pack with price concession.She is taking medicines for PCOS for last two months and having improvements.Thank yo Dechane
I am introduced to the JJ Dechane system of medicines by my father at a very younger age. Your Fluzen, Kofflyn and Albosang are always stored in our house for emergency. I remember the Dechane box containing different numbered medicines ( Powders of course). My father used to keep this box always and since we were in a village where getting immediate medical attention in those days was difficult my father used to give these medicines to the villagers in case of emergency. Now I regularly order other types of medicines besides Fluzen and Kofflyn. They really work. Perhaps, Dechane medicines can be made more popular by, may be, better advertising.
One of the best
How did the company get its name J&J Dechane ?
These medicines are no new to me.When I was a kid l clearly remember the wide usage of J & J Dshane medicines in our all our family members illness. My father used to keep a set of 10 to 12 small bottles filled either with powder or tablets(all are of J&J Deshane only) He mixed the powder conbinations or he would give us some tablets from a flip off lid bottle and the medications worked wonders in the fast treatment of the illness.. This was the case of 1960’s. By now l have forgotten all but recently l have again started using the now also l find their preparations are efficacious and effective now I am using koflyn and Mersina medicines … getting them online…
Sir, I m Lakshmi kanth from
Ponneri 601204. Thiruvallur district
I want your booklet