Victorian Pharmacy
| Victorian Pharmacy | |
|---|---|
| Starring |
Ruth Goodman Professor Nick Barber Tom Quick |
| Narrated by | Steven Noonan |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Cassie Braben David Upshal |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Lion Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | 15 July – 12 August 2010 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Victorian Pharmacy is a historical documentary TV series in four parts, first shown on BBC Two in July 2010. It was made for the BBC by independent production company Lion Television. The series producer was Cassie Braben and the Executive Producer was David Upshal. It was filmed at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Shropshire. It is a historical documentary that looks at life in the 19th Century and how people attempted to cure common ailments. Since some of the ingredients of Victorian remedies are now either illegal or known to be dangerous, Professor Nick Barber often uses his modern pharmaceutical knowledge to produce similar products without those ingredients. The other main presenters are Tom Quick, a PhD student, and Ruth Goodman, a domestic historian who also appeared in Tales from the Green Valley, Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm.
First broadcast 15 July 2010 at 21:00. The first episode is set in 1837. It was mentioned that the series would not be using opium that was commonly used by pharmacists during the Victorian era. A world where traditional remedies, such as leeches, oil of earthworm and potions laced with cannabis and opium, held sway. After sampling some of the old ways, the team ventured into new discoveries, such as the Malvern water cure, the bronchial kettle for curing coughs, and the invention of Indian tonic water.
First broadcast 22 July 2010 at 21:00. The team took on the challenges of the 1850s and 1860s, 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 ventured into the uncertain world of electrotherapy and found out how the discovery of germs made disinfectants a bestseller.
...
Wikipedia