He then attended the practice of Antoine Portal and other eminent surgeons at the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris.

[2] Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1819, Brookes gave up teaching in 1826, in bad health.

After vainly endeavouring to dispose of his museum collection entire, he sold it off piecemeal.

His published writings included:[1] The generic name, Brookesia, is in honour of Joshua Brookes.

According to Frederick Drimmer's book Very Special People, Brookes "provided a document declaring that the twins 'constitute a most extraordinary Lusus Naturae [sport of nature], the first instance I have seen of a double living child; they being totally devoid of deception, afford a very interesting spectacle, and they are highly deserving of public patronage.'"