Tuesday 22 November 2011

Victorian Pharmacy

Professor Nick Barber, Ruth Goodman and Tom Quick inside a typical Victorian pharmacy.

Have you ever tried a boiled concoction of earthworms, water and red wine to treat bruises?  Or perhaps used leeches in an effort to painlessly bleed out your ailments?  What about swallowing a "pill" that is passed down from generation to generation (swallowed by a family member to cure gastrointestinal issues, passed out of the body, cleaned off and put back on the shelf for other family members to use)?  This BBC documentary looks at life in the 19th century and how people used these and other methods to cure common ailments.  Very fun!

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