Thomas Sydenham: Figures from GCSE History

Thomas Sydenham Facts

Summary: Born in Dorset Thomas Sydenham had a significant impact on progress in medicine. Sydenham was dubbed the English Hippocrates and the Father of English Medicine.
Born: 1624, Dorset
Died:1689, London
Books: The Method of Curing Fevers and Observationes Medicae
Biggest achievements: Thomas Sydenham’s scientific approach to diagnosing disease was ahead of its time and influences the methods used today. He pioneered the use of laudanum and his books offered a unique perspective on the diagnosis of disease. 

Who was Thomas Sydenham?

Thomas Sydenham was born in 1624 in Wynford Eagle, Dorset. Historians do not know much about Sydenham’s parents, but they do know that Sydenham’s father owned property. In the 1600s, most people did not possess the funds to buy property so Sydenham’s father must have had considerable wealth. 

Thomas Sydenham’s education and early life

When Sydenham turned eighteen, he attended Magdalen Hall in Oxford to pursue medicine. The first English Civil War interrupted Sydenham’s studies. Magdalen Hall supported Charles I and the Royalists, whereas Sydenham’s family were on Parliament’s side. Sydenham’s brother was a colonel in Cromwell’s New Model Army, in which Thomas also served. This is because Sydenham was a Puritan - an extreme form of Protestantism - and disagreed with King Charles I having a Catholic wife. The conflict ended in 1646, allowing Sydenham to complete his university course in 1648.

What did Thomas Sydenham do?

After graduating, Sydenham married Mary Gee. The couple had three children, one of whom – James – died in childhood. Sydenham graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, though he did not become a fully qualified physician until 1676. Despite this, Sydenham began to practice medicine in London in around 1656. He was granted a medical licence by the Royal College of
Physicians in 1663.

The atmosphere of the Renaissance was an inspiration to Sydenham. A movement called Humanism motivated scientists to challenge old ideas and conduct their research into life’s big questions. Sydenham used his practical knowledge and this humanistic approach to attempt to understand what causes disease and how best to treat it. 

What was Thomas Sydenham’s impact on medicine?

Sydenham’s first book - The Method of Curing Fevers - was published in 1666. In 1668, Sydenham published a second edition of the book to include remedies for the 1666 Great Plague outbreak. A suggested treatment was to ‘let him be covered all over with Cloths, and his Forehead bound about with a piece of Woollen Cloth’ to induce sweating. 

In 1676 Sydenham published an extended version of The Method of Curing Fevers. This was a general medical textbook called Observationes Medicae. Within this book, Sydenham offered a unique perspective on the diagnosis of disease. He encouraged physicians to stop relying on the Four Humours to diagnose a patient. Instead, physicians should observe a patient’s symptoms to discover the disease they are suffering. Before Observationes Medicae, people believed that the symptoms of disease changed depending on the patient’s star sign, diet or humoural balance. Sydenham argued this was not the case. Diseases, like plants and animals, could be identified and categorised based on their unique characteristics. Using this philosophy, he was among the first to acknowledge that scarlet fever and measles were two separate illnesses. 

What did Thomas Sydenham discover?

Sydenham embraced the science of iatrochemistry and recommended many chemical cures. He pioneered the use of a medicine made by dissolving opium in alcohol. He named this chemical cure ‘laudanum.’ He prescribed laudanum medicine for patients suffering from pain, insomnia or stomach issues. Laudanum became essential to 19th-century medical care. He also advocated the use of cinchona bark (what he referred to as ‘Peruvian bark’) for treating malaria. 

How did Thomas Sydenham improve medical knowledge? 

During his lifetime, Sydenham was a well-respected physician. However, Sydenham faced intense criticism in the field of medicine. Many traditional physicians were angry at Sydenham’s disregard of Hippocrates and still believed in the Theory of the Four Humours for diagnosis and treatment.

Why was Thomas Sydenham important to medical progress? 

The significance of Sydenham’s work was only truly recognised after his death. Observationes Medicae became a key textbook in medical education for the next two centuries. Sydenham was dubbed the English Hippocrates and the Father of English Medicine. His scientific approach to diagnosing disease was ahead of its time and influences the methods used today. Sydenham’s use of cinchona bark became the foundation for modern malaria treatments. Cinchona contains the substance quinine which has proven to be effective against the bacteria responsible for malaria.

By the 19th century, the use of laudanum was incredibly popular. Doctors recommended laudanum for all manner of conditions from soothing a child to treating gout. However, the medicine had dangerous side effects. Many famous Victorian writers such as Lord Byron and Elizabeth Barrett Browning were dependent on laudanum and some died penniless due to their addiction. Laudanum caused feelings of euphoria followed by depressive periods.

The government began to recognise the need to regulate laudanum. In 1868, only registered pharmacists could prescribe the drug. Previously, people could buy laudanum from pubs, barber shops and confectionary shops. By 1899, Sydenham’s laudanum fell out of favour as newer, safer painkillers such as aspirin became available.

Thomas Sydenham’s death

Sydenham died on 29th December 1689 in his home in London. It is believed he died of complications with gout, a condition he had suffered from for a long time. He was 65 years old. Sydenham’s grave is in St James’s Church, Piccadilly. Upon his grave, the College of Physicians placed a mural slab in 1810. It recognises Sydenham’s skill as a physician and his long-lasting impact on the world of medicine.