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Stories

  • In pictures

Testimonies of birth

A 1980s film about childbirth explores how the experience felt for the women featured and offers a glimpse into the big birthing trends of the day.

  • Article

Theriac: An ancient brand?

The name theriac survived for around for two millennia as a pharmaceutical term. But a ‘brand’ name is not always a guarantee of quality.

  • Article

The origins and meanings of pharmacy symbols

What have snakes, unicorns and crocodiles got to do with pharmacies? The history of these modern signs goes back to the Greek gods.

  • Article

Would you like to buy a unicorn?

The story behind why somebody tried to sell Henry Wellcome a unicorn head in 1928.

All stories (11)

Images

  • A medicine vendor selling antidotes to snake poison. Etching by G.M. Mitelli.
  • A medicine vendor selling antidotes to snake poison. Etching by G.M. Mitelli.
  • People strolling and buying plague antidotes in old St Paul's Cathedral, London. Etching by J. Franklin.
  • A man consuming many antidotes to the plague during the Great Plague of London. Etching by J. Franklin, 1841.
  • A salesman in Rome with a snake selling amulets as antidotes or prophylactics against snake-bite to a crowd of people. Etching by B. Pinelli, 1821.
  • A salesman in Rome with a snake selling amulets as antidotes or prophylactics against snake-bite to a crowd of people. Etching by B. Pinelli, 1821.
  • A salesman in Rome with a snake selling amulets as antidotes or prophylactics against snake-bite to a crowd of people.. Pen drawing by B. Pinelli, 1821.
  • Certaine philosophical preparations of foode and beverage for sea-men, in their long voyages: with some necessary, approoved, and hermeticall medicines and antidotes, fit to be had in readinesse at sea, for prevention or cure of divers diseases / [Sir Hugh Plat].
  • The Christians refuge: or heavenly antidotes against the plague in this time of generall contagion. To which is added the charitable physician, prescribing cheap and absolute remedies, for prevention and cure thereof. Published for the benifit [sic] of all families.
  • The Christians refuge: or heavenly antidotes against the plague in this time of generall contagion. To which is added the charitable physician, prescribing cheap and absolute remedies, for prevention and cure thereof. Published for the benifit [sic] of all families.
All images (52)

Catalogue

All works (512)

Events

  • Discussion

Social Dance and Traumatic Histories

Online
Past

Part of Dance the Pain Away

  • British Sign Language
  • Auto-captioned
  • Audio described
All events (1)