Campylobacter, SEM

Pathogenic E. coli on the intestinal lining

A single enteropathogenic E. coli in the intestine

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Clostridium difficile

Tanner's cassia seed pods, India, 1871-1920

Norovirus - colour-enhanced

concept

Shop

Galleries and Reading Room

Library

Café

We’re undertaking research with website visitors to find out some more about you and what you thought about your visit. This survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time!

What brought you to our website today?

This drug jar is labelled “DIASCORD”, an abbreviation of the full Latin name Diascodrium. This translates as “water germander”, which was a thick liquid medical preparation (known as an electuary) that had a similar consistency to honey. It contained a range of ingredients and existed in a variety of different recipes – some including opium. Among the conditions it was at times used to treat were diarrhoea, dysentery, plague, colic and fevers. It could induce sleep and was recommended for women during childbirth. 

Drug jars have a number of different shapes, design motifs and decorative styles which can help date the objects. Although quite crude in design, the face of the winged cherub – a feature of numerous drug jars – is quite realistic. Elsewhere a songbird motif and peacock feathers can be seen.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: England, United Kingdom

Drug jar for Water Germander electuary, England, 1720-1780

Scanning electron micrograph of Giardia, computer-coloured purple on blue. This parasitic protozoan inhabits the human small intestine. It is usually harmless, but may cause diarrhoea (giardiasis). It has two nuclei, four pairs of undulipodia, and two sucking discs for attaching to the intestine wall.

SEM of Giardia

Campylobacter, scanning electron micrograph. This genus of Gram-negative bacteria is a common cause of food poisoning, causing diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and headaches.

SEM of Campylobacter

This earthenware jar was used to store cinchona bark. Cinchona was used to prevent heavy bleeding and diarrhoea but is better known as a source of quinine. The active ingredient of cinchona bark, quinine was used for pain relief and to prevent fevers but was primarily a treatment for malaria. 

The jar is painted with the figures of the Christian Apostles (the twelve original followers of Jesus) and is believed to be from the Castelli region of Italy.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Castelli, Teramo, Abruzzi, Italy

Drug jar for cinchona bark, Italy, 1701-1730

This pair of images demonstrates how a disease-causing strain of E. coli bacteria brings about diarrhoea by breaking down the waterproof barriers between the cells. First of all the bacteria, seen as small red dots, attach to the surface of intestinal cells, making tiny pedestals out of one of the cell's own proteins (bright green). Once attached, the bacteria send signals into the cells, causing the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down. Water is then able to seep out between the cells into the intestine, leading to diarrhoea. The image on the top shows an early stage in the process where the tight junctions are still intact and show as continuous blue lines between the cells. The image on the bottom is taken later in the process, once the tight junctions have broken down. Their remnants appear as blue dots.

Wellcome uses cookies.

Diarrhoea

Images

Works

Drug jar for Water Germander electuary, England, 1720-1780

SEM of Giardia

SEM of Campylobacter

Drug jar for cinchona bark, Italy, 1701-1730

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

Today’s opening times

Wellcome uses cookies.

Diarrhoea

Images

Works

Drug jar for Water Germander electuary, England, 1720-1780

SEM of Giardia

SEM of Campylobacter

Drug jar for cinchona bark, Italy, 1701-1730

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times