308 Proceedings of the Royal Society . 
shire, in the manse of which parish he was horn on the 21st Sep- 
tember 1810. From the G-rammar-school of Dunse he proceeded 
to the University of Edinburgh, where, after going through the 
usual arts course, he began the study of medicine. From Edin- 
burgh he went to Glasgow, where his uncle. Dr Thomas Thomson, 
was then professor of chemistry. He not only made every use of 
the advantages which he there enjoyed of studying that science, 
but became so much attached to it, that it became the pursuit of 
his life. 
Dr Thomson graduated at Glasgow in 1831, and, after a voyage 
to India and China in one of the Company’s ships, he settled in 
London as a physician. At the beginning of his career there, he was 
associated with several active and zealous men, of his own standing, 
in establishing the Blenheim Street School of Medicine, in which he 
lectured on Chemistry. For a short time he assisted DrFarr in editing 
the “ British Annals of Medicine,” and about the same time he un- 
dertook the publication of the “ Kecords of Science.” Active, enthu- 
siastic, and persevering, he had already got over the first difficulties 
of a London practice, and was becoming known as a scientific phy- 
sician, when he left London to take the place of assistant to his 
uncle at Glasgow, whom advancing age compelled to relinquish 
first a part, and soon after the whole of the duties of the Chemical 
Chair. At Glasgow he was a most successful teacher, and acquired 
the confidence and esteem of the manufacturing body. In 1852 
he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Chair of Chemistry, which 
then became vacant. He therefore returned to London, where he 
was appointed Lecturer on Chemistry at St Thomas’ Hospital. In 
1855 he was elected Medical Officer of Health for the parish of St 
Marylebone. This was a new office just established under Lord 
Llanover’s Act. It was an office for which his chemical, medical, 
and local knowledge rendered him admirably fitted. Firm when 
needful, and at all times patient and conciliatory, he was able to 
carry the vestry and householders with him. The water supply, 
the drainage, the food, and the hygiene, not only of the private 
houses, hut of the large public establishments of the parish, were 
all in their turn attended to ; and he was able by degrees to make 
great improvements in the sanitary state of the parish. The 
labour, however, was enormous, and began at last to tell on his 
