Arthur Saunders Thomson (29 December 1816 – 4 November 1860) was a notable New Zealand military surgeon, medical scientist, writer and historian. He was born in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland in 1816. He joined the British Army in 1838 as an assistant surgeon and was stationed in India until 1847. There, he wrote about the epidemic of fever among his regiment during the monsoon season. Upon his return to England, he was appointed surgeon to the 58th Regiment of Foot and sent to New Zealand. In New Zeland he wrote extensively about disease statistics among Māori and European populations and climatology.