C. J. S. (Charles John Samuel) Thompson

Born in Liverpool in 1862, he studied chemistry and pharmacy at the University of Liverpool and went on to build a career that joined science, medicine, and historical research. He is commonly described as a British physician and writer, and he became especially interested in the older traditions surrounding medicine, alchemy, and magic.

He worked closely with Henry Wellcome's collecting and research efforts and later served as curator of the Wellcome historical medical collections. That background helped shape many of his books, which explored subjects such as alchemy, perfumes, poisons, and medical folklore in a way that was informative but still accessible to general readers.

Today he is remembered less as a novelist than as a vivid popular historian of curious knowledge. Books such as The Mystery and Romance of Alchemy and Pharmacy and Poison Romance and Poison Mysteries show his gift for making obscure corners of scientific and medical history feel colorful and approachable.