Thomas Sydenham

Thomas Sydenham (10 September 1624 – 29 December 1689) was an English physician. He was the author of Observationes Medicae which became a standard textbook of medicine for two centuries so that he became known as 'The English Hippocrates'. Among his many achievements was the discovery of a disease, Sydenham's chorea, also known as St Vitus' Dance.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Sydenham was born at Wynford Eagle in Dorset, where his father was a gentleman of property. His brother was Colonel William Sydenham. Thomas fought for the Parliament throughout the English Civil War, and, at its end, went to Oxford as a student of Magdalen Hall. He graduated BA from Oxford on 14 February 1648.

Career[edit | edit source]

In 1655 he was incorporated at Cambridge University and proposed for the degree of MB, but was not admitted. He returned to Oxford, and in 1655 he was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians. He settled in Westminster, and during the plague of 1665 he showed great courage, staying in the city and attending to the sick when most of the physicians had fled.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Sydenham's important work, Observationes Medicae, was used as a standard medical textbook for two centuries. His medical observations were regarded as part of the natural history of diseases rather than their curative treatment. He introduced many useful drugs into medicine, including quinine for malaria.

References[edit | edit source]

External Links[edit | edit source]

Thomas Sydenham Resources
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