John Bathurst THOMSON (2)

JOHN BATHURST THOMSON

Memorial at Upper Barrakka Gardens, Malta.

To the memory of John Bathurst THOMSON. M.D. Surgeon of *H.B. Majesty’s 69th Regiment who died at Valletta, Malta on the 18 September 1850 aged 36 years.

This monument has been erected by the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers of the Corps. To testify their universal affection and esteem. He fell a sacrifice to his unshrinking fidelity in the discharge of duty during the prevalence of cholera in Malta MDCCL

Born 22 September 1813 at Kishengunge, Bengal to Lieutenant Colonel John Thomson of East India Company of the Parish of Orwell in the County of Kinross shire and Bathurst Burrell of Edinburgh. He entered the Army Medical Services aged 24 years 4 months. He died on 18 September 1850 at age 36 at Valetta, Malta, from asiatc cholera, and laid to rest in Msida Bastion Cemetery, Floriana, Malta

Nineteen year old John Bathurst Thomson opted for a university education. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh. In 1825, the medical course for the Edinburgh MD degree was extended from three to four years, when midwifery became a compulsory subject. Students for the MD Degree had to submit and publish a dissertation in Latin, although theses in English became acceptable from 1834. Thomson's thesis was entitled On Misplaced Gout. John Bathurst Thomson qualified in 1836 as a Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons (LRCS) and obtained an MD degree from the University of Edinburgh. We can see exactly the course of studies pursued by John Bathurst Thomson at Edinburgh from his application schedule to join the Army Medical Department in September 1836

Died at Valletta of cholera after an illness of 10 days. He was unmarried, but left a sister and two brothers, Lt Col William Beveridge Thomson 67th Native Infantry Regiment, Assistant Commissary General 2nd Class Ferozopre, and Lt Thomas Hutchins Thomson 9th Native Infantry Regiment Hon. East India Company.

*Her Britannic Majesty.