Thomas Arnold, M.D. was a physician and writer on insanity.

Arnold was born in Leicester

Leicester

Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...

, educated at Edinburgh University, where he took the degree of M.D., became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians

Royal College of Physicians

The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...

, and of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh. He practised in Leicester, where he became owner and conductor of a large lunatic asylum. 'In a word, he was an enliglitened ornament of his native town'.

His principal works are:

• 'Observations on the Nature, Kinds, Causes, and Prevention of Insanity, Lunacy, or Madness,' London and Leicester, 1782, 1786.
• 'A Case of Hydrophobia successfully treated,' 1793.
• 'Observations on the Management of the Insane,' 1809.

In the first of these he examines and compares the opinions of ancient and modern writers on the subject. It is a work of great learning and research, and abounds with interesting cases related from the author's experience.

He died at Leicester 2 September 1816.