Dr. Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689)

Dr. Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689): His Life and Original Writings presents for the first time Sydenham’s works in their original English, nearly three centuries after their initial publication. Known as the English Hippocrates, Sydenham revolutionized clinical medicine and helped free it from medieval traditions. This volume offers his unembellished seventeenth-century prose, untainted by the Latin retranslations that obscured his straightforward writing style in previous editions. It includes a comprehensive collection of his manuscripts, letters, and essays, many of which are being published for the first time, offering readers an authentic view of his pioneering medical insights.

The book also features a newly updated biography of Sydenham, incorporating previously unknown material, including documents from the Lovelace Collection of John Locke’s papers. Sydenham’s life, shaped by the tumultuous political environment of the English Civil War and the Restoration, provides crucial context for understanding the criticism he faced throughout his medical career. This work serves as a tribute to a man whose observations and clinical judgment laid the foundation for modern medicine, shedding light on the historical forces that influenced his medical practice and personal challenges.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1966.