Taylor's association with Guy's & St Thomas's Hospitals began in October 1823 when he enrolled as a pupil to study under Drs Arthur Aikin and Astley Cooper. He spent the summer of 1825 in Paris before returning to (now separated) Guy's Hospital, where he received the diploma of the Apothecaries’ Society in 1828. He then travelled abroad again to visit and study chemistry within leading European medical schools. Taylor returned to Guy's Hospital in 1829, where in 1930 he received a certificate from the Royal College of Surgeons. He entered into general practice but continued to study in the chemical laboratory of Guy’s Hospital. In 1831, Guy's Hospital appointed Taylor to become the first lecturer in medical jurisprudence, a post he held until 1878. In 1832, he was appointed Joint-Lecturer on Chemistry with Arthur Aikin, and went on to hold this post alone from 1851 until his resignation in 1870. The collection contains papers spanning his association with the Guy's & St Thomas's Hospitals.