RCP Museum Late: Healing words - poison or cure?

Poisons, panaceas (cure alls) and everything in between can be found in the fascinating hand-written household manuals of the Healing words exhibition. Join us to explore the deadlier side of historic medical practice on display after hours with a guided talk and fun activities.

The dangers of using common medications like paracetamol are well-known today with clear instructions and warnings on dosage and side effects. We know they will have been well-tested and put through trials before they get anywhere near us. In our collection of historic recipe books there are plenty of ‘medicines’ whose dangers out-weigh any real or imagined benefits and the best you might get is a note saying ‘Dr Loyd has drunk this for 20 years’! From a confiscated antimony cup rumoured to have killed several of its users, to a panacea (cure all) that actually caused mercury poisoning we will explore the deadlier side of historic medicines through the Healing words exhibition.

We will be open from 5.30pm – 8pm for visitors to drop in. A short talk highlighting the deadlier side of historic medicines in the Healing words exhibition will be held at 6pm and 7pm on the gallery. Plus take part in fun activities including diagnosing the historic disease and guess the scent.

Healing words explores the RCP’s collection of recipe books, an extraordinary resource showing how people lived in early modern England, and how healthcare functioned outside of the formal medical sphere. The books show us how medicine was understood and practiced at community level. They are glimpses into a world in which communities were self-sufficient, and people were intimately connected to one another, the land, the seasons and the cosmos. Their contents contributed to the very survival of families and communities.

The wider museum will also be open late that evening including our Treasures Room, portrait collections and anatomical tables.

Regent's Perk café will be open for drinks throughout the evening.