Theden was the youngest of 23 children. Despite beginning as a mere
barber's apprentice, he reached the pinnacle of the medical profession. One of his teachers was the
city doctor () (1696–1773) of
Schweidnitz, who co-founded
hydrotherapy in Germany, which is why Theden also became a practitioner. A reference to his own origins can be found in Theden's own writings: "Our German army doctors, unfortunately! for the most part are trained by barbers. For three years they work for barbers and imbibe their teaching. After this they are apprenticed having learned nothing more than how to wash a beard and put on plaster and poultices... many can barely read and, even if they can, they learn no more than their teachers before them" (Source: - Report on the army medical service) After the
Seven Years' War (1756–1763) Theden was appointed Third Surgeon-General of the Prussian Army and after the death of (1712–1786) he became First Surgeon-General at the
Charité in Berlin (until his death in 1797). His successor was Surgeon-General
Johann Goercke (1750–1822). Theden performed his greatest service to surgery. His "inflamed wound or shot water" made of brandy, honey or sugar, vinegar and diluted sulphuric acid for treating inflamed wounds – a development of the method of his predecessor Schmucker – came into general use as "Tinctura Antimonii Thedenii". He designed the elastic
catheter, a new method for stemming blood flow (
hemostasis), and the use of hollow splints used in treating bone fractures. He married Juliane Sophie Engel (1723–1778), daughter of Johann Gottlieb Engel (1689–1754), Alderman, and Catharina née Haupt (1701–1750). One of their daughters, Christiane Wilhemine (1753–1831) married Archdeacon Bolzius and, following his death, Major-General Gottfried Ludwig Matthias von Hartmann (1738–1807), commander of the Prussian Artillery Corps, who was decorated with the
Pour le Mérite in 1775. Her daughter Louise von Hartmann married Werner
von Blumenthal, ancestor of most present members of that family. Another daughter of Theden, Sophie Frederica, married his fellow medic, freemason and rosicrucian
J.C.A Mayer, discoverer of
fingerprints and son of the astronomer professor Andreas Mayer. ==Memberships==