Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Castle, Thomas
CASTLE, THOMAS (1804?–1840?) botanical and medical writer, was born in Kent, and after leaving school became a pupil of John Gill, surgeon, at Hythe; in his third year he began his first book, which he finished before going to London to carry on his studies. He entered Guy's Hospital in 1826, and was a member of its Physical Society; the year following he was elected fellow of the Linnean Society, when he was living in Bermondsey Square. Subsequently he removed to Brighton, and in 1838 he signed himself ‘M.D., F.L.S., consulting physician to St. John's British Hospital and memb. Trin. Coll. Camb.’ His name is to be found in the medical list of the same year, but he seems to have died soon afterwards. Further particulars of his life are wanting; the above having been gleaned from his publications, which are as follows: 1. ‘Lexicon Pharmacopœlium,’ Lond. 1826, 8vo, 2nd edit., 1834. 2. ‘Modern Surgery,’ 1828, 12mo. 3. ‘Manual of Surgery,’ ed. by, 2nd edit. 1829, 3rd edit. 1831. 4. ‘Systematic and Physiological Botany,’ 1829, 12mo. 5. ‘Medical Botany,’ 1829, 12mo. 6. ‘Linnæan System of Botany,’ 1836, 4to. 7. ‘Essay on Poisons,’ 1834, 8vo, 7th edit. 1845. 8. ‘Pharmacopœia, Roy. Coll. Phys.’ trans. by, 1837, 8vo, 2nd edit. 1838. 9. ‘Table of Greek Verbs,’ Cambridge, 1832, 4to. He also edited two editions of Blundell's ‘Diseases of Women,’ 1834 and 1837, and with J. A. Barton published a ‘British Flora Medica,’ 1837, a second edition of which was edited in 1867 by J. R. Jackson.
[Castle's Works.]