Weber, Philip(us)

Physician, Author

born: around 1570 in Idstein

died: around 1634 in Saarbrücken

Weber studied medicine in Marburg and Giessen from 1604, where he obtained his master's degree in 1607 and his doctorate a year later. Weber was then appointed court physician to Count Ludwig II of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1590-1640). In 1611, he visited Italy as part of the entourage of Ludwig II's sons. Here Weber had the opportunity to visit various spas and study the local treatment methods. Stays in Bad Schwalbach and Wiesbaden enabled him to deepen his knowledge as a spa physician.

Weber formulated his knowledge in the treatise "Thermarum Wisbadensium descriptio" (1617) in Latin, which was fundamental to Wiesbaden's bathing culture and was published in German translation in 1636 as "Thermae Wisbadenses, das ist Eigentliche Beschreibung deß Wißbad...". The work contained a very precise description of Wiesbaden with its 24 bath houses and the two baths of the hospital as well as an explanation of the origin of the three hot springs.

Weber also devoted himself to Wiesbaden's gastronomy, dealt with various bathing and spa rules and listed regulations for the treatment of individual illnesses. The description of Wiesbaden's baths became a standard work of balneological medicine and was repeatedly cited in all spa writings up to the end of the 18th century.