Exhibit 23

                    Consent of Independent Public Accountants

     As independent public  accountants,  we hereby consent to the incorporation
by reference of our reports dated February 16, 1999, (except with respect to the
matter  discussed in Note 19, as to which the date is March 1, 1999) included in
or incorporated by reference into Thermo Electron Corporation's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year  ended  January 2, 1999,  into the  Company's  previously
filed Registration  Statement No. 33-00182 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement
No.  33-8993  on Form  S-8,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-8973  on Form S-8,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-16460 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
33-16466  on  Form  S-8,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-25052  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-37865 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
33-37867  on  Form  S-8,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-36223  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-52826 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
33-52804  on  Form  S-8,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-52806  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-52800 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
33-37868  on  Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-35657  on  Form  S-3,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-34752 on Form S-3,  Registration  Statement No.
33-39434  on  Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-12748  on  Form  S-3,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-39773 on Form S-3,  Registration  Statement No.
33-40669  on  Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-41256  on  Form  S-3,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-42694 on Form S-3,  Registration  Statement No.
33-43706  on  Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-45401  on  Form  S-3,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-45603 on Form S-3,  Registration  Statement No.
33-50924  on  Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-51187  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-51189 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
33-54185  on  Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  33-54347  on  Form  S-8,
Registration  Statement  No.  33-54453 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
33-59544  on Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  333-00197  on  Form  S-3,
Registration  Statement No.  033-65237 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement No.
033-61561  on Form  S-8,  Registration  Statement  No.  033-58487  on Form  S-8,
Registration  Statement No.  333-01277 on Form S-3,  Registration  Statement No.
333-01809  on Form  S-3,  Registration  Statement  No.  333-01893  on Form  S-3,
Registration  Statement No.  333-19549 on Form S-3,  Registration  Statement No.
333-19535 on Form S-8,  Registration  Statement  No.  333-19633-01  on Form S-3,
Registration  Statement No. 333-34909-01 on Form S-3, Registration Statement No.
333-14265 on Form S-8, and Registration Statement No. 333-62957 on Form S-3.


                                                            Arthur Andersen LLP



Boston, Massachusetts
March 18, 1999