78 Miscellaneous. 



Dr. John Forbes Royle. — Science has sustained a loss in the 

 death of Dr. Royle, which took place at his residence, Heathfield 

 Lodge, Acton, Middlesex, on the 2d of January. He had been for 

 many weeks in ill-health, but his death was sudden at last. Dr. 

 Royle was educated in London for the medical profession, and was 

 a pupil of the late Dr. Anthony Todd Thomson, from whom he 

 seems to have acquired that taste for the study of botany which 

 afterwards distinguished him. Having passed his medical exami- 

 nations, he entered into the service of the East India Company, 

 and was for many years stationed in the Himalaya, where he had 

 great opportunities afforded him of studying, not only the plants 

 of that district, but of the whole empire. He was appointed su- 

 perintendent of the East India Company's Botanic Garden at Sa- 

 harempore, — a position which gave him the largest possible op- 

 portunity for studying the indigenous Flora of Hindustan. The 

 result of his labours was given to the world in a magnificent 

 work, entitled ' Illustrations of the Botany and other branches of 

 Natural History of the Himalayan Mountains, and of the Flora of 

 Cashmere ' This work was published, in folio, with plates, in 

 1833, and at once gave to the author a European reputation as a 

 botanist. In this work Dr. Royle gave the result of his researches 

 nto the medical properties of a large number of plants, as well as 

 the history of drugs used in Europe, whose origin was unknown. 

 In 1857 he published an essay 'On the Antiquity of Hindoo 

 Medicine,' a work displaying much learning and research. On 

 the opening of King's College, London, as a medical school, the 

 knowledge of drugs and plants possessed by Dr. Royle pointed 

 him out as a fit person to hold the Chair of Materia Medica, a 

 position which he filled till the year 1856. Whilst lecturing on this 

 subject he published his ' Manual of Materia Medica,' a book 

 which is now used as a text-book on the subject in medical schools. 

 His extensive knowledge of the natural history of India made 

 him a valuable contributor to the periodical scientific literature, 

 and he was a contributor to ' The Penny cyclopaedia,' and Kitto's 

 ' Dictionary of the Bible,' and other works. He took an active in- 

 terest in promoting a knowledge of the material resources of In- 

 dia, and in 1840 produced a work which perhaps will be read 

 with more interest now than when it was published, ' On the Pro- 

 ductive Resources of India.' During the period of the Russian 

 War, Dr. Royle drew attention to India as a source of the various 

 fibrous materials used in the manufacture of cordage, clothing. 



