The case of the carbolic smoke ball.

Presented by Clive Coleman, this programme traces the story of Carlill and the Carbolic Smoke Ball Company of 1892. The carbolic smoke ball was used to treat a number of conditions, in particular influenza. When the product was first advertised in the Pall Mall Gazette it was bought by a number of people, one of whom was Mrs Louisa Elizabeth Carlill. She used the ball for 2 months, then caught the flu. As the ball was meant to protect her from influenaa, she claimed a reward from the company, who refused to pay her, and the case ended up going to the Court of Appeal. It was there that this became a case that changed the world. Coleman and Chris Newdick, a barrister and Professor of Health Law at the University of Reading, discuss the ramifications of the court case and the outcome of Mrs Carlill's eventual legal success.