Thomas Guidott

Thomas Guidott (1638-1706) Doctor of Physik and Writer became one of the 17th Centuries most prolific physical scientists using the latest techniques of the time for analysis and documentation.

Early studies
He was a student at Dorchester School before studying Chemistry, Physics and Medicine at Wadham College Oxford.

Bath, Somerset
In 1668 Guidott moved to Bath and set up an extensive medical practice there.

In 1669 he published his first book on Bath containing both the history of Bath and some case studies of the curative properties of the waters.

Bath's healing hot mineral springs
In the 1670s he became very interested in the curative properties of the hot spring mineral water at Bath and in 1676 he wrote his famous work “A discourse of Bathe, and the hot waters there. Also, Some Enquiries into the Nature of the water.”

This brought the health giving properties of the hot mineral waters to the attention of the rich and famous who soon the aristocracy started to arrive to partake in them. Later in 1698 he wrote a similar treatise on the properties of the mineral water of Sadlers Wells in London which also became a medicinal retreat for the aristocracy.

1690 he was offered the chief professor at Venice, the professorship of medicine at either Venice or Leyden. He preferred, however, to remain in England.