THOMAS WATSON was born on March 7th, 1792, at Montrath (now Dulford) House, near Cullompton, Devonshire, where his father, Joseph Watson, a Northumbrian by family, was then living. He was educated at Bury St. Edmund’s Grammar School, where he was a schoolfellow with Blomfield, afterwards Bishop of London, and a great friend of Watson’s. In 1811 he entered at St. John’s College, Cambridge, and became tenth wrangler and fellow of his college. At that time only two fellows of St. John’s could retain their fellowships without taking orders, and one of these must study medicine. This circumstance availed to turn Watson’s attention to medicine in 1819 at the age of 27, when he entered St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and came under the powerful influence of Abernethy. During the session 1820-1 he attended medical lectures at Edinburgh University, and in 1822 received his licence to practise from Cambridge. But academical pursuits were continued, and Watson took private pupils, among whom was Lord Auckland, afterwards Bishop of Bath and Wells, and served the office of proctor in 1823-4. In 1825 he took his M.D. degree, and married Miss Jones, niece of Turner, Dean of Norwich and Master of Pembroke College. Soon afterwards he established himself as a physician in Henrietta Street, Cavendish Square, London, in which street he continued to live for fifty-seven years. His wife died, to his lasting regret, five years later, leaving him with one son and daughter, to whom he was devotedly attached. Watson was recognised from the commencement of his London career as a man of mark, and in 1827 he was elected Physician to the Middlesex Hospital. In 1828, on the opening of the University College, he was appointed Professor of Clinical Medicine, retaining his post at the Middlesex Hospital; but he transferred his services as lecturer to King’s College in 1831, becoming Professor of Forensic Medicine. Practice had come but slowly in these years. In 1831 he made his first contribution to medical literature, in the shape of “Remarks on the Dissection of Bishop, and the Phenomena attending Death by Strangulation” (_Medical Gazette_). Bishop had murdered an Italian organ-boy, and brought the body to King’s College for sale: Bishop was hanged, and his body, like that of his victim, came to King’s College for dissection. From this time Dr. Watson made numerous contributions to the _Medical Gazette_, largely embodied in his subsequent great work. In July 1832 he was chosen to accompany Sir Walter Scott from London to Edinburgh when he was returning from Italy to Abbotsford for the last time.