Victorian Pharmacy

In 1837 traditional remedies like leeches, oil of earthworm and potions laced with cannabis and opium held sway. After sampling some of the old ways, the team venture into new discoveries, such as the Malvern water cure, the bronchial kettle for curing coughs, and the invention of Indian tonic water.

The 1850s and 60s were a time when overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions had reached their peak, leading to unprecedented outbreaks of disease. `Cure all' medicines that had promised to cure virtually everything, were all the rage and the team make their own out of rhubarb, liquorice, soap and syrup. They also venture into the uncertain world of electrotherapy.

The pharmacy enters a period of new inventions and new laws. In 1868 pharmacies were regulated by law for the very first time, and Ruth, Tom and Nick face a taste of the examinations pharmacists went through to become qualified.

Ruth, Nick and Tom carry Barber and Goodman's Pharmacy through to the end of the Victorian era. Tom pulls some teeth as he branches out into dentistry, photography starts to become a popular hobby and Ruth investigates the changing times for women at the end of the 19th century, exploring Victorian contraception, even making some condoms out of sheep's intestines.