Born on 3 May 1878, son of Alexander Guthrie of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, he gained an exhibition at Sedburgh and, from there, an exhibition at King's College, Cambridge, where he obtained a first class in the Natural Science Tripos in 1899. For his clinical studies he entered the medical school of St Thomas's Hospital where he qualified in 1903. After a house surgeon's appointment and a clinical assistantship in the throat department he proceeded to Vienna for postgraduate study. He then returned to Liverpool and was appointed consulting surgeon to the Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Hoylake and the West Kirby and Neston Cottage Hospitals. He became consulting laryngologist to the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool and consulting aurist and laryngologist to the Royal Liverpool Hospital for Children. He was honorary lecturer on laryngology to the University of Liverpool. He died on 1 April 1961 at Pembury, Kent aged 82.