Sydenham, Thomas

Many authors call him one of the founders of clinical medicine. He made a significant contribution to the formation of the nosological principle. Descriptions of scarlet fever and measles made by Sydenham are considered classical, some nosological forms bore or bear his name (sydenham scarlet fever, sydenham chorea ); with the work of Sydenham, the spread of the use of hina for the treatment of malaria is associated. One of the works of Sydenham [Tractatus de podagra et hydrope. London, 1683] is dedicated to gout (which he himself suffered for more than 30 years).

He gave priority to facts and direct observation, considering diseases as processes, symptoms as something purely external, which varies depending on the constitution of the body. He sought to precisely distinguish between various painful forms and in this way create solid ground for the use of specific agents, and at the same time he came to a purely ontological understanding of painful processes and to establish a classification of diseases according to a completely botanical scheme. Sydenham was a supporter of energy treatment; quinine and opium, and especially bloodletting, played a prominent role in his therapy. Some sources characterize him as an opponent of Paracelsus.

The main works .:

1. "Medical observations regarding the course and treatment of acute diseases." First edition, called Methodus curandi febres (London, 1666). The second is under the same name, supplemented by a chapter on the plague (London, 1668). The third, best known - under the name Observationum Medicarum Circa Morborum Acutorum Historiam & Curationem (London, 1676), contains observations of epidemics in London from 1661 to 1675 and the conclusions arising from these observations about the nature of 1. illnesses in general, 2. acute diseases, 3. epidemic diseases.

2. “Treatise on gout and dropsy” - Tractatus de podagra et hydrope (London. 1683), is devoted to the nature of chronic diseases and, first of all, gout as a typical, in the opinion of the author, chronic disease (which the author himself suffered for most of own life). The description of the debut of a gout presented in §5 is considered to be the reference to this day.

The complete works of Sydenham., Which were all written in Latin, were published many times, for the first time in 1685. The canonical edition of the complete works of Sydenham is considered to be published in the middle of the 19th century. Sydenham Society: in Latin - London, 1844; in the English translation of R.G. Latham - London 1848-50, in two volumes.

French translations are also available. and German, Vienna, 1786–87, 2 vol.). Wed Jahn, "Sydenham" (Eisenach, 1840); J. Brown, Locke and S. (Edinb., 1866); Picard, “S., sa vie, ses oeuvres” (Par., 1889)

• Borodulin V.I. Sidengem T. // BME. 3rd ed. M., 1984. V.23. S.700-703.
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• Person S. A. Clinical Medicine. 1965.V. 43. No. 11. S.139-144.
• Sidengam, Thomas // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.

• G. Aksamentov. Thomas Sydenham (on the 300th anniversary of his death). Clinical medicine . 1989. No. 11. P.151-154.
• Thomas Sydenham