Shropshire, UK
Robert Mills Ltd supplied some of the Victorian shopfittings for the new BBC series, Victorian Pharmacy, which can been seen on Thursdays at 9pm. The series is set in the Blists Hill Victorian Town, the open-air museum in the Ironbridge Gorge.
'Victorian Pharmacy' takes a look at the dynamic world of the pharmacy from the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign in 1837 through to her death in 1901.
The four-part 60 minute series follows historian Ruth Goodman, Professor Nick Barber and PhD student Tom Quick recreating an authentic 19th-century pharmacy. They look at remedies such as leeches, oil of earthworm and potions laced with cannabis and opium. After sampling some of the old ways, the team ventures into new discoveries, such as the Malvern water cure, the bronchial kettle for curing coughs, and the invention of Indian tonic water. Later they look at the role of pharmacists in developing everything from custard powder and Worcester Sauce to matches, fireworks, disinfectant and aspirin.
BBC Victorian Pharmacy
Story Type: News