fictional character
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Also known as: Dr. John H. Watson
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- In full:
- Dr. John H. Watson
Dr. Watson, fictional English physician who is Sherlock Holmes’s devoted friend, associate, and chronicler in a series of detective stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first collection of their escapades was published as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1892.
Watson, born in 1852, has served as an army surgeon in India, where he was wounded during the second Afghan War, and has returned to England in impaired health. He and Holmes meet in London; they share rooms at 221B Baker Street. The medical practice Watson establishes does not prevent him from accompanying Holmes on his crime-fighting cases, which he later records and publishes.
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The Literary World (Characters Quiz)
The character of Watson, as written by Conan Doyle, is modest and intelligent. He is a patient and sensitive observer, but his detecting capabilities are no match for the lightning-swift deductive reasoning of Holmes.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.
