1 00:00:01,887 --> 00:00:04,447 Blists Hill Victorian town in Shropshire 2 00:00:04,487 --> 00:00:08,719 revives the sights, sounds and smells of the 1 9th century. 3 00:00:08,767 --> 00:00:10,485 Good morning. 4 00:00:10,527 --> 00:00:13,280 At its heart stands the pharmacy - 5 00:00:13,327 --> 00:00:17,206 a treasure house of potions and remedies from a century and a half ago. 6 00:00:18,127 --> 00:00:19,685 Now, in a unique experiment, 7 00:00:19,727 --> 00:00:21,763 historian Ruth Goodman, 8 00:00:21,807 --> 00:00:23,798 Professor of Pharmacy Nick Barber, 9 00:00:23,847 --> 00:00:26,077 and PhD student Tom Quick 10 00:00:26,127 --> 00:00:28,721 have opened the doors to the Victorian pharmacy, 11 00:00:30,327 --> 00:00:35,720 recreating a high street institution we take for granted, but which was once a novel idea. 12 00:00:36,647 --> 00:00:40,879 They've brought the pharmacy to life, sourcing ingredients, mixing potions 13 00:00:40,927 --> 00:00:42,838 and dispensing cures. 14 00:00:44,727 --> 00:00:47,799 But in an age when skin creams contained arsenic 15 00:00:47,847 --> 00:00:52,398 and cold medicines were based on opium, the team are being highly selective. 16 00:00:52,447 --> 00:00:55,803 They're only trying out safe versions of traditional remedies 17 00:00:55,847 --> 00:00:58,441 on carefully selected customers. 18 00:00:58,847 --> 00:00:59,723 Whoa! 19 00:01:00,207 --> 00:01:03,722 The start was like the Wild West. People didn't know what was good and bad. 20 00:01:03,767 --> 00:01:05,962 Try and get a bit of speed up. There we go, yeah. 21 00:01:06,007 --> 00:01:10,922 The pharmacy was something that affected everybody's lives in one way or another. 22 00:01:11,567 --> 00:01:14,240 They're discovering an age of social change 23 00:01:14,287 --> 00:01:19,281 that brought healthcare within the reach of ordinary people for the very first time, 24 00:01:19,327 --> 00:01:22,842 heralding a consumer revolution that reached far beyond medicine 25 00:01:22,887 --> 00:01:27,278 to create the model for the modern high street chemist as we know it today. 26 00:01:37,687 --> 00:01:42,124 Having followed the evolution of the pharmacy through 50 remarkable years, 27 00:01:42,167 --> 00:01:46,558 Barber & Goodman's high street shop is approaching the end of the 1 9th century. 28 00:01:47,487 --> 00:01:52,845 A period when pharmacies were responding to a fast-changing world of fresh opportunities. 29 00:01:52,887 --> 00:01:55,401 And women, too, were entering a new age. 30 00:01:56,287 --> 00:02:01,407 Now we're sort of coming towards the end of this journey through the 1 9th-century pharmacy, 31 00:02:01,447 --> 00:02:03,961 l ought to have some clothes that are more appropriate. 32 00:02:04,007 --> 00:02:09,525 At the end the century women in business, and, of course, women were in business, 33 00:02:09,567 --> 00:02:12,479 were wanting to emphasise that sort of quality. 34 00:02:12,527 --> 00:02:15,837 So they started dressing in a much more manlike way, 35 00:02:15,887 --> 00:02:18,765 to emphasise their sort of business credentials as such. 36 00:02:18,807 --> 00:02:24,006 So you get women's suits for those who wanted to show that they were in the world of work, 37 00:02:24,047 --> 00:02:27,722 holding their own professionally, alongside the blokes. 38 00:02:27,767 --> 00:02:31,760 Do you know, l think l could run the world of pharmacy dressed like this! 39 00:02:35,687 --> 00:02:39,680 The pharmacy has now moved into a new era of scientific understanding. 40 00:02:40,647 --> 00:02:44,720 Old ideas of what caused disease and how to treat it have faded away 41 00:02:44,767 --> 00:02:48,157 and the foundations of modern medicine are firmly in place. 42 00:02:48,847 --> 00:02:51,919 But while other retailers had stayed fixed on their core business, 43 00:02:51,967 --> 00:02:57,087 pharmacies had seized every opportunity to expand their goods and services. 44 00:02:57,127 --> 00:02:59,766 No longerjust a provider of drugs and remedies, 45 00:02:59,807 --> 00:03:03,925 the Victorian pharmacy now sold a wide range of products 46 00:03:03,967 --> 00:03:07,516 which wouldn't look out of place in today's chemist shops. 47 00:03:07,567 --> 00:03:10,718 This is what the whole of the 1 9th century, in a sense, ends up as, isn't it? 48 00:03:10,767 --> 00:03:13,440 - lt's like a culmination. - Builds up to this, doesn't it? 49 00:03:13,487 --> 00:03:18,800 And all of a sudden we have this scientific knowledge, the pharmacist has the expertise. 50 00:03:18,847 --> 00:03:22,362 We're stocking branded products, probably, for the first time, 51 00:03:22,407 --> 00:03:24,045 we're not making them ourselves. 52 00:03:24,087 --> 00:03:27,397 Pharmacists are starting to look like, well, department stores. 53 00:03:31,607 --> 00:03:34,963 An enterprising pharmacist used his chemical expertise 54 00:03:35,007 --> 00:03:37,521 and the materials he already had on his shelves 55 00:03:37,567 --> 00:03:40,764 to cater for one of the great growing fashions of the age. 56 00:03:42,727 --> 00:03:46,322 Right, that's ready. Could you give me the slide? Thank you very much. 57 00:03:46,367 --> 00:03:49,882 Photographer Terry King has come to demonstrate the latest technology. 58 00:03:49,927 --> 00:03:52,236 Right, if you'd like to stop... 59 00:03:52,287 --> 00:03:56,280 Photography was invented in the very early years of Victoria's reign. 60 00:03:56,327 --> 00:03:59,637 But it wasn't until the 1 880s that the real boom began. 61 00:03:59,687 --> 00:04:01,678 ..the names in the window. 62 00:04:02,567 --> 00:04:06,799 Easier-to-use equipment gave amateur photography popular appeal as a hobby. 63 00:04:09,007 --> 00:04:14,081 And that meant big profits for pharmacies, who could supply the chemicals, process pictures 64 00:04:14,127 --> 00:04:16,118 and sell cameras. 65 00:04:19,807 --> 00:04:24,597 OK. l'll just check once more that we've got the focus right. 66 00:04:26,007 --> 00:04:27,918 Slide out. We all ready? 67 00:04:27,967 --> 00:04:30,401 Watch the birdie, keep still while we do it. 68 00:04:30,447 --> 00:04:33,723 - (Click) - Thank you very much, we're done now. 69 00:04:35,927 --> 00:04:38,600 Later, after Terry has set up a dark room, 70 00:04:38,647 --> 00:04:41,559 Tom will be learning how to develop the photograph. 71 00:04:45,967 --> 00:04:51,439 lt's early spring and in the fields around Barber & Goodman's Shropshire pharmacy, 72 00:04:51,487 --> 00:04:54,445 many medicinal plants are beginning to emerge. 73 00:04:54,487 --> 00:04:56,603 Nick and herbalist Eleanor Gallia 74 00:04:56,647 --> 00:05:00,322 are on the hunt for one of the most effective traditional painkillers. 75 00:05:01,527 --> 00:05:03,563 So what's this plant we're seeking? 76 00:05:03,607 --> 00:05:06,644 Meadowsweet. Filipendula ulmaria. 77 00:05:07,407 --> 00:05:09,762 - Beautiful name. - Beautiful name. 78 00:05:09,807 --> 00:05:11,877 l could marry someone called that. 79 00:05:11,927 --> 00:05:14,043 And what was it used for? 80 00:05:14,847 --> 00:05:21,082 Digestive, calming digestive. Very popular in rheumatism, pain relief. 81 00:05:21,927 --> 00:05:26,205 Diaphoretics, so used to help sweat out the early stages of a fever. 82 00:05:26,247 --> 00:05:30,399 - Yeah. - l keep thinking l see little bits of it. 83 00:05:30,447 --> 00:05:33,837 lt's very small at the moment. There's some here, actually. 84 00:05:36,487 --> 00:05:38,284 More of it here. 85 00:05:39,287 --> 00:05:42,882 So the effects depend partly on the time of the year when it's picked, 86 00:05:42,927 --> 00:05:45,805 and obviously the parts of the plant which are picked. 87 00:05:45,847 --> 00:05:49,317 And was that something which herbalists and chemists 88 00:05:49,367 --> 00:05:51,483 and druggists would have paid attention to? 89 00:05:51,527 --> 00:05:53,245 Hugely. Very, very important. 90 00:05:53,287 --> 00:05:57,565 And especially so when, traditionally, the herbalists were collecting their own herbs 91 00:05:57,607 --> 00:06:00,963 and dispensing their own herbs and making up their tinctures and medicines. 92 00:06:01,007 --> 00:06:03,726 - Shall we pick some meadowsweet? - Yes, let's. 93 00:06:03,767 --> 00:06:08,283 Remembering all the time that this is just the very young growth. 94 00:06:08,327 --> 00:06:12,605 And so this would help from diaphoresis, and the sweating of an early fever. 95 00:06:12,647 --> 00:06:15,445 But really the main action, the antacid action, 96 00:06:15,487 --> 00:06:19,241 which has got a lovely, soothing action on the inside of the stomach, 97 00:06:19,287 --> 00:06:23,565 it helps the mucosa, the alkali, which actually protects the gut from the acid 98 00:06:23,607 --> 00:06:26,440 that's produced in the whole digestive process. 99 00:06:26,847 --> 00:06:30,396 And we could make an infusion out of it, make it like a tea? 100 00:06:30,447 --> 00:06:31,436 Yes. 101 00:06:32,247 --> 00:06:36,877 The key of making an infusion is always to make it in a warmed pot. 102 00:06:38,047 --> 00:06:40,277 - With a lid. And that way... - Really? 103 00:06:40,327 --> 00:06:42,283 Yes, very important. 104 00:06:42,327 --> 00:06:45,285 And that way you preserve any of the volatile oils 105 00:06:45,327 --> 00:06:49,081 - Oh, right. - Volatile, coming from ''volare'', to fly. 106 00:06:49,127 --> 00:06:52,722 - Really? l didn't know that. - And so these oils, they're longing to fly away. 107 00:06:52,767 --> 00:06:56,726 You give them hot water and off they go. So you have to quickly catch them with a lid. 108 00:07:02,527 --> 00:07:05,519 Ruth has collected the raw ingredients for a product 109 00:07:05,567 --> 00:07:09,196 that would quickly become a popular ''under the counter'' product. 110 00:07:10,367 --> 00:07:13,325 Now what l'm actually making here are condoms. 111 00:07:14,487 --> 00:07:19,481 This is sheep's intestine. Of course it's the small intestine, not the large intestine. 112 00:07:20,567 --> 00:07:25,482 l can't say that this is the pleasantest of jobs. lt's pretty smelly. Pretty dirty. 113 00:07:25,527 --> 00:07:29,076 So having pulled it apart from the rest of the stomach contents, 114 00:07:29,127 --> 00:07:33,040 l'm just squeezing it so that everything inside comes out. 115 00:07:33,087 --> 00:07:38,559 l mean, this is the intestinal tract. So it's sort of partly digested grass, basically. 116 00:07:41,447 --> 00:07:43,438 Oh! l've ruptured it at the side. 117 00:07:45,207 --> 00:07:48,517 l'm not actually expecting anybody to actually wear this. 118 00:07:49,887 --> 00:07:55,086 So l could think, ''Oh, well, it doesn't matter.'' But l sort of want to get it right! 119 00:07:55,967 --> 00:08:01,325 l quite like the whole experimental thing. l want to make one that works. 120 00:08:01,887 --> 00:08:06,085 So l've got quite a number of processes to go through before this is a finished product. 121 00:08:06,127 --> 00:08:09,722 lt's got to soak for a bit, and then l've got to turn the whole thing inside out, 122 00:08:09,767 --> 00:08:12,725 so that l can make sure that the inside is thoroughly cleaned, 123 00:08:12,767 --> 00:08:15,042 and it's then got to be macerated, 124 00:08:15,087 --> 00:08:20,161 sort of lightly worked and soaked in an alkali substance to sterilise it. 125 00:08:20,207 --> 00:08:23,005 Then l've gotta dry it out over brimstone, sulphur fumes. 126 00:08:23,047 --> 00:08:26,517 Again, we're trying to sterilise the whole thing. 127 00:08:26,567 --> 00:08:28,558 And then l can start shaping it. 128 00:08:29,327 --> 00:08:33,605 So, alkali overnight, and change the alkali in the morning. 129 00:08:36,447 --> 00:08:39,723 Condoms, in one form or another, had been available for centuries, 130 00:08:39,767 --> 00:08:44,238 whether they were made of sheep gut or, after the vulcanisation of rubber, made of rubber. 131 00:08:44,287 --> 00:08:48,246 They'd never had any effect whatsoever on the birth rate. 132 00:08:48,287 --> 00:08:52,997 They had been used almost exclusively to protect men from sexual disease 133 00:08:53,047 --> 00:08:55,356 when they were busily playing around. 134 00:09:01,847 --> 00:09:05,920 Keen to exploit every business opportunity in the 1 890s, 135 00:09:05,967 --> 00:09:09,676 pharmacies began offering another new service to their customers. 136 00:09:09,727 --> 00:09:11,524 (Drilling) 137 00:09:12,327 --> 00:09:17,196 With only one qualified dentist for every eight and a half thousand people 138 00:09:17,247 --> 00:09:19,841 there was money to be made from tooth-pulling. 139 00:09:21,407 --> 00:09:26,925 Retired dentist and dental historian, Professor Stanley Gelbier, has come to train Tom up. 140 00:09:28,007 --> 00:09:33,206 Now, what l don't understand, Stanley, is as a pharmacist's assistant, 141 00:09:33,247 --> 00:09:35,761 why would l be extracting teeth? 142 00:09:35,807 --> 00:09:37,286 Oh, well, that's quite simple. 143 00:09:37,327 --> 00:09:40,717 Because you're gonna be one of a number of people who were extracting teeth 144 00:09:40,767 --> 00:09:42,883 at that particular time of the century. 145 00:09:42,927 --> 00:09:48,320 ln London, many of them were surgeons who also did dentistry almost as a sideline. 146 00:09:48,367 --> 00:09:52,360 As you got outside London you had a variety of other people. 147 00:09:52,407 --> 00:09:56,082 You had blacksmiths - blacksmiths could make the tools in their forge 148 00:09:56,127 --> 00:09:57,606 and then they would use them. 149 00:09:57,647 --> 00:10:02,198 Some were wig-makers, silversmiths, whole load of different people. 150 00:10:02,247 --> 00:10:04,807 There must have been quite a market for it. 151 00:10:04,847 --> 00:10:08,078 l mean, what state were Victorian people's teeth in at this time? 152 00:10:08,127 --> 00:10:12,723 Well, a lot of people had bad teeth. The problem was sugar. As always. 153 00:10:12,767 --> 00:10:15,486 Their mouths were often full of bad teeth. 154 00:10:15,527 --> 00:10:19,486 They had pus draining into their mouth through gum boils, et cetera. 155 00:10:19,527 --> 00:10:21,563 So it was quite horrific and quite smelly. 156 00:10:21,607 --> 00:10:24,326 But the thing is, dentistry was horrific at that time, 157 00:10:24,367 --> 00:10:30,442 so people didn't rush to get their teeth treated until it was absolutely essential. 158 00:10:30,487 --> 00:10:35,242 Right, so shall we just have a go and see how l go about this then? 159 00:10:35,287 --> 00:10:38,836 - So what would l be using here? - Why don't we try out one of the keys? 160 00:10:38,887 --> 00:10:40,036 Which one...? 161 00:10:40,087 --> 00:10:45,207 The brutally efficient dental key was the weapon of choice for extracting diseased teeth. 162 00:10:46,487 --> 00:10:50,036 Some of the earlier ones wouldn't have had a handle, just a straight piece of metal. 163 00:10:50,087 --> 00:10:54,046 And this is more sophisticated, more comfortable. You get a better grip. 164 00:10:54,087 --> 00:10:57,284 - Why don't we try it out on your finger first? - Erm...OK. 165 00:10:57,327 --> 00:10:59,602 So there we are. We won't take your finger off. 166 00:10:59,647 --> 00:11:03,481 And l'm just hooking it over. So we can see that now. 167 00:11:03,527 --> 00:11:05,802 - And you'll feel, as l slowly turn... - Oh! Oh yeah. 168 00:11:05,847 --> 00:11:07,166 Feel the grip. Very tight. 169 00:11:07,207 --> 00:11:09,880 - That's actually, yeah... - So we won't do anymore. Right. 170 00:11:09,927 --> 00:11:12,236 You have a try. Try it on this. 171 00:11:12,287 --> 00:11:14,039 So l need to go round the back here then? 172 00:11:14,087 --> 00:11:17,363 No, you can't do that, because that'll be the back of the head and throat. 173 00:11:17,407 --> 00:11:19,443 - You need to go in through the mouth. - Right. 174 00:11:19,487 --> 00:11:23,241 Which is the front. Get that gripping on the tooth. 175 00:11:23,287 --> 00:11:24,640 - Ooh! - Right? 176 00:11:24,687 --> 00:11:27,201 And then when you grip, quick yank. 177 00:11:27,247 --> 00:11:29,283 - That's it, it's gone. - (Laughs) 178 00:11:29,327 --> 00:11:32,205 Wow! Yeah, you can see how that'd do quite a lot of damage. 179 00:11:32,247 --> 00:11:33,441 That's right. 180 00:11:33,487 --> 00:11:35,682 More often than not, not only the tooth comes out - 181 00:11:35,727 --> 00:11:38,480 sometimes the tooth breaks, sometimes it comes straight out, 182 00:11:38,527 --> 00:11:42,440 but often you damage the gum around the tooth and the bone around the tooth. 183 00:11:42,487 --> 00:11:44,000 But it was really horrific. 184 00:11:44,047 --> 00:11:48,996 Remember this is a day when there were no anaesthetics, so it really was painful. 185 00:11:49,047 --> 00:11:52,084 - lt's not a friendly technology for your mouth? - No, not at all. 186 00:11:54,127 --> 00:11:56,721 To avoid the terror of tooth pulling, 187 00:11:56,767 --> 00:12:02,842 wealthier customers might lavish some care on their teeth with a tooth powder, or dentifrice, 188 00:12:02,887 --> 00:12:04,878 specially prepared by their pharmacist. 189 00:12:05,647 --> 00:12:09,003 What l've been doing is grinding up some myrrh. 190 00:12:09,047 --> 00:12:14,246 And we can use it to make a dentifrice, which is what they used before they used toothpastes. 191 00:12:14,287 --> 00:12:21,363 lt's a powder, a mixture of various things, which l'm gonna be bringing together. 192 00:12:21,407 --> 00:12:25,798 At this stage they didn't use toothpaste because of a practical reason, 193 00:12:25,847 --> 00:12:30,363 which is, in particular, they couldn't get tubes, which we're so used to now. 194 00:12:30,407 --> 00:12:35,037 lt was only when soft metal tubes were made available in the 1 890s, 195 00:12:35,087 --> 00:12:37,965 that they could put toothpaste into these tubes, 196 00:12:38,007 --> 00:12:42,239 and be able to have them sealed, and used in a way which we are so used to now. 197 00:12:43,007 --> 00:12:47,319 First thing l'm gonna do is mix some chalk together with some peppermint oil. 198 00:12:50,287 --> 00:12:53,802 Some of the orris root - this is a plant substance. 199 00:12:55,887 --> 00:13:00,517 We've got some lumps in here, because of the mixture of the oil and the chalk, 200 00:13:00,567 --> 00:13:02,762 sort of binds it together and makes it a bit lumpy. 201 00:13:02,807 --> 00:13:06,925 We'll try and get rid of those. But we will be sieving it before we give it out! 202 00:13:06,967 --> 00:13:10,960 Before we produce it as a final product. 203 00:13:12,007 --> 00:13:16,046 Pharmacists would sometimes add ground cuttlefish, brick dust 204 00:13:16,087 --> 00:13:20,478 and even crushed china to their toothpowders for extra abrasive effect. 205 00:13:20,527 --> 00:13:22,995 We've got some soap flakes coming in as well. 206 00:13:24,847 --> 00:13:29,682 And soap was used, as you can imagine... to clean the teeth. 207 00:13:30,567 --> 00:13:33,604 But the art of mixing is extremely important. 208 00:13:33,647 --> 00:13:40,280 lt's no use having a dilution of something if you end up with a very concentrated part of it 209 00:13:40,327 --> 00:13:43,125 which is poisonous or dangerous in some ways. 210 00:13:44,287 --> 00:13:47,802 l am worried it's going to be given to someone and l'll be rubbing some on my gums 211 00:13:47,847 --> 00:13:50,645 before l'm giving it to anyone else. 212 00:13:51,327 --> 00:13:53,887 And that sense of responsibility was there all the time. 213 00:13:53,927 --> 00:13:59,047 That's why that whole concept of checking is so important in pharmacy. 214 00:13:59,087 --> 00:14:06,084 Because you only have to make a careless error we all make in that aspects of our life 215 00:14:06,127 --> 00:14:08,721 and you can severely harm someone. 216 00:14:09,447 --> 00:14:13,725 But we're getting close to be ready...to try it. 217 00:14:14,167 --> 00:14:16,283 We'll try sieving down a small amount. 218 00:14:17,047 --> 00:14:21,165 That's looking good. Hello, Helen. How are you? 219 00:14:21,207 --> 00:14:24,677 - So this is what l'll be testing then? - lt is indeed, it is indeed. 220 00:14:24,727 --> 00:14:27,082 lt's very kind of you to volunteer to try this. 221 00:14:28,007 --> 00:14:31,124 Helen Wright is a researcher of dental diseases, 222 00:14:31,167 --> 00:14:35,638 and the perfect customer to assess the quality and appeal of Nick's concoction. 223 00:14:35,687 --> 00:14:41,842 lt would be presented in one of these little pots and they'd have a toothbrush. 224 00:14:43,567 --> 00:14:46,479 And l've got a lovely selection of toothbrushes here. 225 00:14:47,167 --> 00:14:50,079 - So are you ready to give this a go? - Yep. 226 00:14:50,127 --> 00:14:53,961 - Well, pick a toothbrush. - l'll have this one here. lt's nice and small. 227 00:14:54,007 --> 00:14:58,159 And give it a try, see how it's... l don't know how much sticks on. 228 00:14:58,207 --> 00:15:01,677 l have to say... Yeah, it seems to stick quite well to the toothbrush. 229 00:15:01,727 --> 00:15:03,718 There we go. Right, here we go. 230 00:15:05,287 --> 00:15:08,006 Let me give it a try as well. Put some on my finger. 231 00:15:10,247 --> 00:15:12,715 You're still standing, that's a good start. 232 00:15:13,327 --> 00:15:14,521 What's it like? 233 00:15:14,567 --> 00:15:17,877 lt's got a definite sort of zing to it, hasn't it? 234 00:15:17,927 --> 00:15:21,522 l can feel the inside of my lips and my gums tingling with the... 235 00:15:21,567 --> 00:15:24,001 - Yes, it's a real... - That'll be the myrrh doing that. 236 00:15:24,047 --> 00:15:28,484 - l'm waiting to see if there's a secondary kick. - You can smell the peppermint. 237 00:15:28,527 --> 00:15:31,325 You can definitely smell... You can't taste it too much. 238 00:15:31,367 --> 00:15:36,122 No. But you can feel it sort of gritty on your teeth as well. l certainly can with my finger. 239 00:15:36,167 --> 00:15:39,204 They feel nice and clean using the brush, though. 240 00:15:39,247 --> 00:15:41,761 - Yeah. - l think we might have a product here. 241 00:15:41,807 --> 00:15:43,923 l've got a pot here for you to take away. 242 00:15:45,407 --> 00:15:47,602 - And a toothbrush as well. - Thank you very much. 243 00:15:47,647 --> 00:15:49,877 Thanks very much indeed for coming in. Bye-bye. 244 00:15:49,927 --> 00:15:51,280 Bye-bye. 245 00:16:18,247 --> 00:16:22,206 Nick is on his way to try out the natural painkilling plant, meadowsweet, 246 00:16:22,247 --> 00:16:23,885 that he and Eleanor picked. 247 00:16:23,927 --> 00:16:27,237 - Hello, Eleanor. - Hello, Nick. Perfect timing, kettle's just boiled. 248 00:16:27,287 --> 00:16:29,084 Oh, fantastic! 249 00:16:29,127 --> 00:16:32,358 So...any chance of some of this meadowsweet tea, then? 250 00:16:32,407 --> 00:16:33,522 For sure. For sure. 251 00:16:33,567 --> 00:16:38,277 See what it was like being a Victorian taking a natural medicine. 252 00:16:38,327 --> 00:16:39,646 Yes. 253 00:16:39,687 --> 00:16:43,077 For you to experience it...just warm the pot. 254 00:16:43,127 --> 00:16:46,119 lt was quite difficult in Victorian times with pain control. 255 00:16:46,167 --> 00:16:51,036 l mean, partly pain was thought to be there, sent there by God, so there's an issue about it. 256 00:16:51,087 --> 00:16:52,361 - As a punishment. - Yes. 257 00:16:52,407 --> 00:16:57,117 When they introduced chloroform to stop the pain of childbirth, 258 00:16:58,327 --> 00:17:00,887 there was a lot of religious leaders who were against it. 259 00:17:00,927 --> 00:17:04,363 Saying that it was stopping God's work being done. 260 00:17:04,407 --> 00:17:05,965 So there was quite a barrier to it. 261 00:17:06,007 --> 00:17:08,316 - And so the... - Ow! 262 00:17:08,367 --> 00:17:12,565 The movement against it was quite strong. 263 00:17:12,607 --> 00:17:15,167 People were saying, ''This is against God's way.'' 264 00:17:15,207 --> 00:17:19,962 Most of the natural products that were used for pain control... 265 00:17:20,007 --> 00:17:24,159 The only natural products were basically opium and cannabis. 266 00:17:24,207 --> 00:17:27,517 And Queen Victoria had cannabis for her period pains. 267 00:17:27,567 --> 00:17:29,364 What did the vicars say about that? 268 00:17:29,407 --> 00:17:32,319 l don't know. l think perhaps they didn't tell them! 269 00:17:33,167 --> 00:17:34,680 Fantastic. 270 00:17:36,047 --> 00:17:37,605 - Thank you. - Meadowsweet tea. 271 00:17:37,647 --> 00:17:41,117 (Sniffs) Mmm! 272 00:17:43,047 --> 00:17:47,404 - That's quite restorative as just a smell, isn't it? - Yes, it's lovely. Almondy. 273 00:17:49,847 --> 00:17:51,838 Mmm! 274 00:17:51,887 --> 00:17:54,355 - Good health, Nick. - Cheers. 275 00:17:54,407 --> 00:17:56,398 Good health. This is very good. 276 00:17:59,647 --> 00:18:02,923 l was prepared for a bit of a witch's brew, but this is good! 277 00:18:08,087 --> 00:18:12,638 For thousands of years medicinal plants like meadowsweet and also willow 278 00:18:12,687 --> 00:18:14,678 had been used to control pain. 279 00:18:16,287 --> 00:18:21,600 But by the end of the 1 9th century scientists had discovered that the plant's painkilling properties 280 00:18:21,647 --> 00:18:24,366 were due to a chemical called salicylic acid. 281 00:18:25,247 --> 00:18:28,922 And it could be extracted using the latest laboratory techniques. 282 00:18:31,727 --> 00:18:35,436 By isolating salicylic acid from meadowsweet and willow 283 00:18:35,487 --> 00:18:38,445 they could produce a range of painkilling medicines. 284 00:18:39,687 --> 00:18:44,397 lt is the key ingredient in modern, non-prescription painkillers such as aspirin. 285 00:18:46,647 --> 00:18:50,401 This is a source of salicylic acid, it's willow bark. 286 00:18:50,447 --> 00:18:52,199 Right. Just from normal willow trees? 287 00:18:52,247 --> 00:18:57,275 Normal willow trees, and that, if you chew it... 288 00:19:00,607 --> 00:19:02,438 lt's quite bitter, isn't it? 289 00:19:02,487 --> 00:19:08,676 Hippocrates in 400 BC was prescribing an infusion of willow leaves, not the bark - 290 00:19:08,727 --> 00:19:11,924 because you use the leaves of the willow tree as well as the bark - 291 00:19:11,967 --> 00:19:13,764 to ease the pain of childbirth. 292 00:19:13,807 --> 00:19:17,197 Two and a half thousand years we've known that this is a painkiller. 293 00:19:17,247 --> 00:19:21,718 Yeah. Salicylic acid can reduce pain, it also is antipyretic. 294 00:19:21,767 --> 00:19:24,725 Right. So it reduces fever if you're hot and feverish. 295 00:19:24,767 --> 00:19:26,086 lt's anti-inflammatory. 296 00:19:26,127 --> 00:19:30,962 Right, so things like rheumatism, or where you've got an inflamed area of your body. 297 00:19:31,007 --> 00:19:33,077 Gums can be inflamed, all sorts of areas, yeah. 298 00:19:33,127 --> 00:19:35,482 lt could help treat that. lt's a bit of a wonder drug. 299 00:19:35,527 --> 00:19:37,483 lt is, isn't it? 300 00:19:37,527 --> 00:19:40,758 lt's still used in things like wart treatments. 301 00:19:40,807 --> 00:19:43,116 - lt's used in strong concentrations... - Really? 302 00:19:43,167 --> 00:19:46,921 ..to like 60%, to burn off erm...warts. 303 00:19:47,847 --> 00:19:50,884 The first step is to grind this bark down. 304 00:19:50,927 --> 00:19:55,921 lf Nick and scientist Mike Bullivant can extract the salicylic acid from the willow bark 305 00:19:55,967 --> 00:19:59,164 then Nick can make up painkillers to sell in the pharmacy. 306 00:19:59,207 --> 00:20:02,085 - Having ground it, the next step... - How are we gonna get it out? 307 00:20:02,127 --> 00:20:05,836 - ..is to add some ether. - Ether? Why are we using ether? 308 00:20:06,647 --> 00:20:11,163 The ether is a solvent that will dissolve the salicylic acid. 309 00:20:11,207 --> 00:20:13,118 Uh-huh. 310 00:20:13,167 --> 00:20:14,759 l've got to just let this settle. 311 00:20:14,807 --> 00:20:17,321 There's lots of little bits of dust in there 312 00:20:17,367 --> 00:20:22,236 which l'll allow to settle and then l'll just tap off the ether. 313 00:20:22,287 --> 00:20:25,006 With the salicylic acid in. Fantastic. 314 00:20:27,367 --> 00:20:32,805 As Ruth is discovering, making a sheep gut condom requires patience. 315 00:20:33,367 --> 00:20:37,360 This has definitely changed in the alkali. 316 00:20:39,167 --> 00:20:41,158 lt's certainly bleached it. 317 00:20:41,407 --> 00:20:43,159 lt's much paler than it was, 318 00:20:43,207 --> 00:20:47,883 and it seems to have loosened all the mucus membrane. 319 00:20:48,887 --> 00:20:53,802 And the next thing l've got to do with it, so it says, 320 00:20:54,287 --> 00:20:58,485 is to sterilise... well, is to smoke it in brimstone smoke. 321 00:20:58,527 --> 00:21:01,519 lt doesn't say what for. l think it's to sterilise it. 322 00:21:01,727 --> 00:21:06,005 So if l just... stick this on the line for a minute. 323 00:21:11,287 --> 00:21:12,436 Bleurgh! 324 00:21:16,127 --> 00:21:18,118 Brimstone, of course, is sulphur. 325 00:21:19,207 --> 00:21:21,516 So l went and got some of that out of the lab. 326 00:21:21,567 --> 00:21:23,444 Just plain old sulphur. 327 00:21:23,487 --> 00:21:25,239 And l've got to burn it. 328 00:21:25,287 --> 00:21:29,485 l also found in the lab this Victorian smoke vessel. 329 00:21:30,567 --> 00:21:36,915 So what l've got to do is make the smoke inside there with all of that hanging in there. 330 00:21:40,407 --> 00:21:42,398 (Hums) 331 00:21:43,127 --> 00:21:47,120 So the fumes that you get off sulphur are quite poisonous. 332 00:21:48,287 --> 00:21:50,482 Which is good, in that it kills the bugs, 333 00:21:50,527 --> 00:21:54,998 you've just got to be careful it doesn't kill the people too, while you're at it. 334 00:21:55,687 --> 00:21:58,804 OK, that's starting to look a bit more active, isn't it? 335 00:22:02,127 --> 00:22:04,118 ln it goes. 336 00:22:04,367 --> 00:22:06,358 Lid on. 337 00:22:06,727 --> 00:22:08,046 Quite weird, isn't it? 338 00:22:08,087 --> 00:22:12,956 Making condoms, and it looks like some sort of laboratory experiment you did at school. 339 00:22:17,047 --> 00:22:20,323 The fumes seem to be clearing, so presumably that's that. 340 00:22:21,127 --> 00:22:23,118 Just got to wash them out now. 341 00:22:23,487 --> 00:22:25,478 And cut into lengths. 342 00:22:25,807 --> 00:22:30,085 l don't want to offend my customers by making them of an inappropriate size. 343 00:22:33,647 --> 00:22:36,320 OK. Tied. 344 00:22:37,607 --> 00:22:41,122 Oh, my goodness. l don't want to do this bit! 345 00:22:45,007 --> 00:22:48,204 Urgh! l really don't want to do this bit! 346 00:22:48,247 --> 00:22:52,445 l've got to inflate them, it says, so that they can dry to size. 347 00:22:54,127 --> 00:22:57,358 That is just too weird for words. 348 00:22:58,207 --> 00:23:00,243 Hang it on the line and let it dry. 349 00:23:00,287 --> 00:23:03,484 The finished sheep gut condom would not have been cheap. 350 00:23:04,047 --> 00:23:08,677 So the custom, generally, was to wash them after use and keep for next time. 351 00:23:12,567 --> 00:23:17,083 Towards the end of the 1 9th century, a new alternative to tooth pulling arrived. 352 00:23:18,167 --> 00:23:21,398 For those who could afford it there was now the option of a filling, 353 00:23:21,447 --> 00:23:23,438 thanks to the dental treadle drill. 354 00:23:24,047 --> 00:23:28,165 So, l think the only thing we haven't talked about is this instrument here. 355 00:23:28,207 --> 00:23:31,005 - Right. - ls it the treadle drill? 356 00:23:31,047 --> 00:23:32,605 This is called a treadle drill. 357 00:23:32,647 --> 00:23:35,719 Till about 1 870 you didn't even have this sort of drill. 358 00:23:35,767 --> 00:23:39,726 And it worked simply on the basis you put your foot up and down on the treadle, 359 00:23:39,767 --> 00:23:42,327 this revolves, comes right round here, 360 00:23:42,367 --> 00:23:46,201 drives gears in there, right down to the handpiece. 361 00:23:46,247 --> 00:23:48,124 Oh. lt's a skill getting it started. 362 00:23:48,167 --> 00:23:51,477 lt is indeed. Often if you twist that, it saves time. 363 00:23:51,527 --> 00:23:55,281 - So you start that off like that. - You've got to keep up the motion. 364 00:23:55,327 --> 00:23:56,476 Ooh! 365 00:23:57,167 --> 00:24:00,000 - Yeah, there we go. - Not easy. You're doing well. 366 00:24:00,047 --> 00:24:02,641 - You've got to get your timing right. - That's correct. 367 00:24:02,687 --> 00:24:06,760 You've got to concentrate on that, on your hand, on the patient's mouth. 368 00:24:06,807 --> 00:24:11,801 And all the time try to instil some sort of confidence in the patient, l suppose? 369 00:24:11,847 --> 00:24:14,407 You've got to think about so many things at once. 370 00:24:14,447 --> 00:24:16,915 The thing is, the faster you go, the better it is, 371 00:24:16,967 --> 00:24:20,323 cos there's less vibration on the tooth. Still quite a lot. 372 00:24:20,367 --> 00:24:22,597 Try and get a bit of speed up. There we go. 373 00:24:22,647 --> 00:24:25,081 You've got the speed, that's good, keep it up. 374 00:24:25,127 --> 00:24:27,118 And slowly get that onto the tooth. 375 00:24:27,767 --> 00:24:29,758 That's good. The faster the better. 376 00:24:30,327 --> 00:24:32,318 - Oh, you can really get a... - Yeah. 377 00:24:33,727 --> 00:24:37,003 - Kind of vicious, isn't it? Brilliant. - Starting to cut. 378 00:24:37,407 --> 00:24:39,398 Ooh, missed a little bit. 379 00:24:40,047 --> 00:24:42,038 Oh, straight in. 380 00:24:42,287 --> 00:24:45,006 Great. That's looking really professional now. 381 00:24:46,407 --> 00:24:50,446 Think of the vibration you can feel, and the patient will feel it even more. 382 00:24:50,487 --> 00:24:53,604 - Terrible vibration. - The whole jaw's moving, right. 383 00:24:53,647 --> 00:24:54,636 Yeah. 384 00:24:54,687 --> 00:24:56,678 Now you can see the dust coming up. 385 00:25:00,327 --> 00:25:02,204 Feel a bit like a carpenter. 386 00:25:02,247 --> 00:25:05,080 You have to remember not to blow if it's a patient's mouth. 387 00:25:05,127 --> 00:25:07,038 Yes, that's a good point. 388 00:25:07,087 --> 00:25:09,726 You'd have a chip syringe, just to blow it. 389 00:25:10,887 --> 00:25:14,197 And it's really difficult to be accurate there. You go all over the place. 390 00:25:14,247 --> 00:25:15,646 Absolutely. 391 00:25:16,727 --> 00:25:18,763 Sorry, sir, l've scratched your teeth a bit. 392 00:25:18,807 --> 00:25:22,925 And you're dealing with a patient who'll be moving around the whole time. 393 00:25:22,967 --> 00:25:24,958 You've knocked the tooth out. 394 00:25:27,407 --> 00:25:29,125 Oh, no. 395 00:25:29,167 --> 00:25:31,965 lt's like, ''Sir, it'll get better. lt'll just grow back, sir.'' 396 00:25:32,007 --> 00:25:34,521 But you get the idea anyway? Now you know what it is. 397 00:25:34,567 --> 00:25:35,556 Brilliant. 398 00:25:35,607 --> 00:25:38,565 Having this done must have been quite expensive, then? 399 00:25:38,607 --> 00:25:40,245 lt was expensive. 400 00:25:40,287 --> 00:25:43,836 So much so that poor people wouldn't have had fillings, usually. 401 00:25:43,887 --> 00:25:46,685 They just would have waited until they had awful toothache, 402 00:25:46,727 --> 00:25:48,922 had the tooth taken out, and that was it. 403 00:25:49,487 --> 00:25:54,356 And indeed there were some people even had, perhaps a bit later in the century, 404 00:25:54,407 --> 00:25:56,637 had teeth out for their 21 st birthday. 405 00:25:57,007 --> 00:25:58,998 Particularly females. 406 00:25:59,447 --> 00:26:03,360 And the idea was they'd have the teeth taken out before they got married, 407 00:26:03,407 --> 00:26:06,683 and then there would be no expense for the future husband. 408 00:26:06,727 --> 00:26:07,921 Really? 409 00:26:07,967 --> 00:26:10,162 All the teeth gone, that was the end of it. 410 00:26:10,207 --> 00:26:12,482 Oh, wow. So would you get dentures or...? 411 00:26:12,927 --> 00:26:15,760 Well, if you were poor, no, you didn't have dentures. 412 00:26:15,807 --> 00:26:18,958 That was something the middle classes and rich people had. 413 00:26:19,007 --> 00:26:21,441 - Thanks very much for your advice. - My pleasure. 414 00:26:21,487 --> 00:26:23,603 l think l might have another go on this. 415 00:26:23,647 --> 00:26:25,524 - You do that. - So let me just... 416 00:26:25,567 --> 00:26:27,558 Don't let anyone know. 417 00:26:30,407 --> 00:26:32,238 (Drill whirrs) 418 00:26:32,287 --> 00:26:34,278 Wow! l'm getting better at it now. 419 00:26:34,327 --> 00:26:36,283 You are. Yeah. 420 00:26:36,327 --> 00:26:39,603 l think l would have been an over-enthusiastic dentist. 421 00:26:39,807 --> 00:26:45,279 l think l would have quite enjoyed looking for the slightest problem 422 00:26:45,327 --> 00:26:47,124 that l could go and fix, 423 00:26:47,167 --> 00:26:51,001 so l think l'd have a problem in terms of laying off the teeth. 424 00:26:51,047 --> 00:26:53,163 Cos l really enjoyed using that drill. 425 00:26:56,767 --> 00:27:01,318 ln the lab, Nick and Mike are extracting the pain-killing drug salicylic acid 426 00:27:01,367 --> 00:27:03,358 from the willow bark. 427 00:27:03,847 --> 00:27:05,917 What's the stuff in the funnel there? 428 00:27:06,607 --> 00:27:08,120 A little wad of cotton wool. 429 00:27:08,167 --> 00:27:10,761 l'm passing the solution through a wad of cotton wool, 430 00:27:10,807 --> 00:27:12,684 and that will filter off the fibres. 431 00:27:12,727 --> 00:27:17,721 Or any fibres that are suspended in the ether solution. 432 00:27:18,087 --> 00:27:21,284 But what's coming through the filter funnel 433 00:27:21,327 --> 00:27:27,163 should be an ether solution of salicylic acid and other things. 434 00:27:27,207 --> 00:27:28,606 Right. 435 00:27:29,247 --> 00:27:33,445 And the next step is getting rid of those other things, 436 00:27:33,487 --> 00:27:36,923 so we're left with as pure salicylic acid as possible. 437 00:27:37,207 --> 00:27:40,005 So do you think this would have been worth it for pharmacists 438 00:27:40,047 --> 00:27:43,642 in terms of the cost of the ingredients and stuff, 439 00:27:43,687 --> 00:27:47,043 and the yield of salicylic acid they'd get out? 440 00:27:47,087 --> 00:27:50,523 Well, the yield's really low. l suspect we'll get a very low yield. 441 00:27:50,567 --> 00:27:52,205 Don't expect too much. 442 00:27:52,247 --> 00:27:55,523 But l think it would have been economical if you had the time. 443 00:27:55,567 --> 00:27:57,876 - Because the willow bark is free. - Yeah. 444 00:27:58,887 --> 00:28:01,196 Takes time and patience doesn't it, this? 445 00:28:01,247 --> 00:28:03,158 Like life. 446 00:28:03,687 --> 00:28:05,678 Take your time. 447 00:28:09,847 --> 00:28:11,838 l'm separating in a minute. 448 00:28:13,047 --> 00:28:16,596 So in goes the ether and the salicylic acid and other things. 449 00:28:16,647 --> 00:28:18,239 And other things. 450 00:28:18,287 --> 00:28:21,677 To isolate the salicylic acid from all the other chemicals in the bark 451 00:28:21,727 --> 00:28:25,402 it's first turned into a salt by adding sodium carbonate, 452 00:28:25,447 --> 00:28:27,722 better known as washing soda. 453 00:28:28,687 --> 00:28:33,477 lf l give it a good shake, that's just getting the two layers mixed up as much as you can. 454 00:28:34,727 --> 00:28:36,683 The two layers are separated out. 455 00:28:41,887 --> 00:28:42,876 Perfect. 456 00:28:42,927 --> 00:28:48,285 Then Mike adds dilute sulphuric acid to turn the salt into solid salicylic acid. 457 00:28:49,727 --> 00:28:50,716 So... 458 00:28:51,927 --> 00:28:53,042 Whoa! 459 00:28:53,087 --> 00:28:55,681 See, that's neutralising the sodium carbonate 460 00:28:55,727 --> 00:28:58,366 and converting it back to acid, see? 461 00:28:58,647 --> 00:29:00,046 Mm. 462 00:29:00,087 --> 00:29:01,839 lt's changing the colour. 463 00:29:01,887 --> 00:29:04,276 And do you see that white solid coming down? 464 00:29:04,327 --> 00:29:06,124 - Do you see that? - Absolutely. 465 00:29:06,167 --> 00:29:08,965 That's salicylic acid that's forming. Can you see? 466 00:29:09,007 --> 00:29:11,885 - Yeah. The white salicylic acid. - The white, foamy solid. 467 00:29:11,927 --> 00:29:14,885 So it's not looking too bad at the moment. 468 00:29:14,927 --> 00:29:17,839 lt's heartening that we've got some salicylic acid. 469 00:29:18,287 --> 00:29:23,315 lt's amazing, just three or four stages, we're going from pieces of plant, 470 00:29:23,367 --> 00:29:25,483 all the way through to a pure chemical. 471 00:29:26,327 --> 00:29:28,921 Er, well, a kind of pure chemical. 472 00:29:30,047 --> 00:29:32,686 We'll leave it at that, l think. l've added enough acid. 473 00:29:32,727 --> 00:29:34,399 Just leave that to settle. 474 00:29:34,447 --> 00:29:35,960 Fantastic. 475 00:29:37,887 --> 00:29:41,197 Without effective birth control in the 1 9th century, 476 00:29:41,247 --> 00:29:43,920 unwanted pregnancies were all too common. 477 00:29:44,447 --> 00:29:48,679 However, pills were becoming available that regulated women's periods 478 00:29:48,727 --> 00:29:53,164 and a side effect of these pills was that, if taken during pregnancy, 479 00:29:53,207 --> 00:29:55,402 they could trigger a miscarriage. 480 00:29:55,647 --> 00:29:58,559 The lurid safety warnings on these medicines 481 00:29:58,607 --> 00:30:02,725 gave them an obvious appeal to women desperate to end their pregnancies. 482 00:30:03,207 --> 00:30:08,759 A fact that was not lost on many pharmacists, who did a roaring trade in ''female pills''. 483 00:30:09,967 --> 00:30:12,879 lt wouldn't be hard to go and openly buy female pills, 484 00:30:12,927 --> 00:30:15,646 because they had this perfectly acceptable use. 485 00:30:16,447 --> 00:30:21,885 The knowledge of how to use them to produce an abortion, that was the dodgy thing. 486 00:30:21,927 --> 00:30:24,487 That was illegal, 487 00:30:24,527 --> 00:30:27,837 and considered to be immoral, and against the teachings of the Church, 488 00:30:27,887 --> 00:30:32,677 and huge social pressure against that sort of knowledge. 489 00:30:32,727 --> 00:30:34,718 lt was quite suppressed. 490 00:30:35,447 --> 00:30:37,005 lt was also very dangerous, 491 00:30:37,047 --> 00:30:41,438 taking totally unregarded amounts of things that are toxic in your system. 492 00:30:41,487 --> 00:30:43,045 People got into a terrible state. 493 00:30:43,087 --> 00:30:47,080 An awful lot of women died trying to induce an abortion. 494 00:30:47,807 --> 00:30:49,525 ln the pharmacy's display case, 495 00:30:49,567 --> 00:30:53,242 Ruth has discovered another disguised attempt at contraception. 496 00:30:54,047 --> 00:30:58,165 This is one of the most exciting things l think l've found in the pharmacy. 497 00:30:59,207 --> 00:31:01,198 A universal douche. 498 00:31:01,567 --> 00:31:03,398 lt may not sound much. 499 00:31:04,327 --> 00:31:08,843 But it is, in fact, one of the first widely available forms of contraception. 500 00:31:10,087 --> 00:31:12,362 You would never know from the packaging. 501 00:31:12,407 --> 00:31:15,797 lt's very, very carefully...general. 502 00:31:15,847 --> 00:31:17,883 lt says ''Universal douche. 503 00:31:17,927 --> 00:31:19,440 For directions see inside lid.'' 504 00:31:19,487 --> 00:31:26,484 And it's only when you open and read it that the word universal ''vaginal'' douche comes in. 505 00:31:26,527 --> 00:31:30,839 And that's it, this could be openly on the shelves, 506 00:31:30,887 --> 00:31:34,402 because there were medical uses for a vaginal douche, 507 00:31:34,447 --> 00:31:36,517 for the hygiene of keeping the vagina clean. 508 00:31:38,807 --> 00:31:43,801 You sort of had to be in the know that it was also a form of contraception. 509 00:31:44,807 --> 00:31:50,200 For hundreds of years, douches had been one of the most popular forms of birth control. 510 00:31:50,247 --> 00:31:55,480 ln reality they were unlikely to work and might even have increased the chances of conception. 511 00:31:58,647 --> 00:32:03,960 Contraception was probably not on the minds of most of the men buying sheep-gut condoms, 512 00:32:04,007 --> 00:32:05,963 like the ones Ruth has made. 513 00:32:06,007 --> 00:32:08,521 Purchased mainly to protect against disease, 514 00:32:08,567 --> 00:32:10,444 rather than to guard against pregnancy, 515 00:32:10,487 --> 00:32:15,163 a gentleman customer would expect the pharmacist to supply them in confidence. 516 00:32:15,687 --> 00:32:20,807 Of course, this would very much be a sort of, a discretionary trade, one amongst gentlemen. 517 00:32:21,727 --> 00:32:27,359 People really would not appreciate having their private lives known about and discussed, 518 00:32:27,407 --> 00:32:32,322 so, l mean, it's really about being able to trust the person you get these products from. 519 00:32:33,687 --> 00:32:35,518 And really, you know, there's two things, 520 00:32:35,567 --> 00:32:39,845 it's, one, you don't want anyone to know that you've bought them in the first place. 521 00:32:39,887 --> 00:32:44,278 And secondly, that you want to be able to trust the actual products themselves 522 00:32:44,327 --> 00:32:46,318 and know that they'll work. 523 00:32:52,167 --> 00:32:57,036 ln a time when most people walked everywhere, relief from foot pain was in high demand. 524 00:32:59,207 --> 00:33:00,925 Local businessman Richard Eley 525 00:33:00,967 --> 00:33:05,119 has come to see what the Victorian Pharmacy could offer for his problem. 526 00:33:05,167 --> 00:33:11,436 Well, l have a rather painful but rather small corn on the inside of my little toe. 527 00:33:11,487 --> 00:33:13,284 Oh, l see, yeah. 528 00:33:13,327 --> 00:33:15,124 You can sort of see a sore area, yeah. 529 00:33:15,167 --> 00:33:17,965 The pain goes from my little toe, up to my knee, 530 00:33:18,007 --> 00:33:21,886 to the point where l have considered having my little toe amputated. 531 00:33:22,767 --> 00:33:24,439 - Really? As bad as that? - Yes. 532 00:33:24,487 --> 00:33:28,878 lt offers Ruth an opportunity to find another use for salicylic acid. 533 00:33:28,927 --> 00:33:33,000 ln stronger concentrations the chemical Nick and Mike have made as a painkiller 534 00:33:33,047 --> 00:33:36,562 can also be used to remove warts and corns. 535 00:33:37,207 --> 00:33:40,643 Well, the Victorian wonder drug for this, 536 00:33:40,687 --> 00:33:45,203 the thing that they thought was going to transform the care, was salicylic acid. 537 00:33:45,247 --> 00:33:47,602 Ah, salicylic acid? 538 00:33:47,647 --> 00:33:49,877 And in fact, l've got... 539 00:33:49,927 --> 00:33:53,602 Well, actually, this is a modern preparation of salicylic acid, 540 00:33:54,887 --> 00:33:58,004 so there's a few other things in here to sort of carry the acid. 541 00:33:58,047 --> 00:34:00,163 And you could have it in a liquid form, 542 00:34:00,207 --> 00:34:03,677 - or have it put on corn plasters that you applied. - Ah, yes. 543 00:34:03,727 --> 00:34:06,878 And you'd get a little tin with sort of medicated corn plasters. 544 00:34:06,927 --> 00:34:07,643 Right. 545 00:34:07,687 --> 00:34:09,166 So it's just... 546 00:34:09,207 --> 00:34:10,686 Just at the side of the... 547 00:34:10,727 --> 00:34:11,921 - Just there? - Yeah. 548 00:34:11,967 --> 00:34:13,764 That little area. There you go. 549 00:34:14,567 --> 00:34:16,683 Then that should sort of whiten as it dries. 550 00:34:16,727 --> 00:34:18,479 You get a sort of skin over it, 551 00:34:18,527 --> 00:34:23,806 which sort of holds the active ingredient against the affected part. 552 00:34:23,847 --> 00:34:25,565 So it does actually burn the skin away? 553 00:34:25,607 --> 00:34:27,359 - Yeah. lt's sort of quite... - Slowly. 554 00:34:27,407 --> 00:34:34,245 Slowly kills the whole area and then allows the virus, basically, to be lifted out. 555 00:34:34,287 --> 00:34:36,755 - So... - Now you see it. 556 00:34:36,807 --> 00:34:38,957 - Now you see it. Now you don't. - Now you don't. 557 00:34:39,007 --> 00:34:43,956 Basically you take that away and a drop every day on the same spot. 558 00:34:44,007 --> 00:34:46,043 Drop every day keeps the corn away. 559 00:34:46,087 --> 00:34:47,520 That's the theory. 560 00:34:51,127 --> 00:34:53,163 Nick is ready to use the same chemical, 561 00:34:53,207 --> 00:34:55,721 the salicylic acid he and Mike made, 562 00:34:55,767 --> 00:34:57,359 to prepare some cachets, 563 00:34:57,407 --> 00:35:01,844 thin rice paper capsules that he can fill with the finished drug. 564 00:35:01,887 --> 00:35:05,880 As a modern pharmacist, it's a skill he's never needed to learn before. 565 00:35:07,847 --> 00:35:11,681 - Here you are. Here's your salicylic acid. - Ah, fantastic, mate. Well done. 566 00:35:11,727 --> 00:35:14,685 Last time you saw it, it was in a filter funnel and looked like that. 567 00:35:14,727 --> 00:35:16,797 l said l'd purify it by recrystalising it. 568 00:35:16,847 --> 00:35:18,883 - That was the result. - They're fantastic. 569 00:35:18,927 --> 00:35:20,485 Yeah, really long needles. 570 00:35:20,527 --> 00:35:22,563 - Well, you wanted it really pure? - Yeah. 571 00:35:22,607 --> 00:35:25,360 So l took that, the needles, and recrystalised them, 572 00:35:25,407 --> 00:35:28,205 and l ended up with really pure needles, which l've ground up. 573 00:35:28,247 --> 00:35:29,965 You asked for it ground and that's it. 574 00:35:30,007 --> 00:35:33,158 - So there's your pure salicylic acid. - Fantastic. 575 00:35:33,207 --> 00:35:35,402 l'm going to stick them in these cachets. 576 00:35:35,447 --> 00:35:36,846 l'm going to have to mix that. 577 00:35:36,887 --> 00:35:38,605 lt'll be such a small amount in each one, 578 00:35:38,647 --> 00:35:44,358 l'm going to mix it with something which is OK to swallow, like citric acid, grind them together. 579 00:35:44,407 --> 00:35:49,606 Make a nice mixture, and then we just put an amount in each of these caches. 580 00:35:49,647 --> 00:35:50,477 Mm-hm. 581 00:35:50,527 --> 00:35:57,160 And then we put the other half in this, close it up, and they stick together. 582 00:35:57,207 --> 00:36:01,041 You know those sweets, Flying Saucers, they were called, like, or Spaceships... 583 00:36:01,087 --> 00:36:03,362 - With sherbet in? - Yeah. Two halves of rice paper 584 00:36:03,407 --> 00:36:04,681 with sherbet in the middle. 585 00:36:04,727 --> 00:36:08,766 Used to stick them in your mouth and they'd dissolve and the sherbet would be released. 586 00:36:08,807 --> 00:36:12,117 Cos this rice paper is, you know, as you know, once it gets wet and... 587 00:36:12,167 --> 00:36:12,838 Yeah. 588 00:36:12,887 --> 00:36:16,163 Bit of acid on it, it'll fall apart and release the powder. 589 00:36:16,207 --> 00:36:17,959 - Cor, wonderful. - By the fraction. 590 00:36:18,007 --> 00:36:19,281 Well, there you are. 591 00:36:19,327 --> 00:36:21,477 Don't use either of those, cos they're impure. 592 00:36:21,527 --> 00:36:24,678 - That's what you work with. - Thanks very much. See you later. 593 00:36:24,727 --> 00:36:25,796 No worries. 594 00:36:35,767 --> 00:36:37,758 See how this goes. 595 00:36:43,287 --> 00:36:45,357 This'll be the top half of each cache. 596 00:36:47,127 --> 00:36:50,403 They're quite delicate, so l'm a bit worried about cracking them. 597 00:36:50,447 --> 00:36:53,757 l don't quite know how far to press them in. They're quite a tight fit. 598 00:36:58,207 --> 00:37:01,404 Fingers crossed. 599 00:37:01,447 --> 00:37:02,562 Yeah. 600 00:37:02,607 --> 00:37:04,598 There's a dampness there. 601 00:37:05,927 --> 00:37:08,441 Press these down and hope! 602 00:37:09,247 --> 00:37:11,522 That's all we can do at this stage! 603 00:37:11,567 --> 00:37:13,558 And now, fingers crossed. 604 00:37:15,847 --> 00:37:16,962 Yay! 605 00:37:17,007 --> 00:37:18,360 Look at that! 606 00:37:18,407 --> 00:37:20,477 Fantastic. 607 00:37:20,527 --> 00:37:23,883 And now you use this thing to push them out as well. 608 00:37:25,607 --> 00:37:27,279 l'm really pleased about this! 609 00:37:27,327 --> 00:37:32,003 l didn't think it would work anywhere near as well as that. 610 00:37:32,047 --> 00:37:34,686 Look at that. Perfect caches. 611 00:37:34,727 --> 00:37:37,116 - Holding together. - (Powder shakes) 612 00:37:37,167 --> 00:37:39,635 You can hear the powder inside. 613 00:37:39,687 --> 00:37:45,762 You know, what we've been through is just a remarkable process, really, 614 00:37:45,807 --> 00:37:48,037 which doesn't happen nowadays. 615 00:37:48,087 --> 00:37:52,160 lt's the sort of thing which everything's manufactured and standardised and so on. 616 00:37:52,207 --> 00:37:55,563 But we started with willow bark, a natural product, 617 00:37:55,607 --> 00:37:59,759 and we chemically extracted the key element, 618 00:37:59,807 --> 00:38:04,801 and we've put the salicylic acid in here, in this dose form, 619 00:38:04,847 --> 00:38:07,725 ready to give to a patient, 620 00:38:07,767 --> 00:38:10,281 or as a Victorian person would give to a patient. 621 00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:18,683 Salicylic acid was an effective painkiller but could be a stomach irritant. 622 00:38:19,327 --> 00:38:22,842 The big breakthrough came in 1 899 when aspirin, 623 00:38:22,887 --> 00:38:27,597 a chemically altered version of it with less side effects, was released onto the market. 624 00:38:27,647 --> 00:38:32,437 Whatever the content, cachets allowed pharmacists to dispense a premeasured dose. 625 00:38:33,527 --> 00:38:37,440 The practical problem for the patient was swallowing them. 626 00:38:37,487 --> 00:38:40,479 Student Tom Chandler has volunteered to try one out. 627 00:38:40,527 --> 00:38:42,040 - Powders are put inside. - Right. 628 00:38:42,087 --> 00:38:43,440 And two halves are just... 629 00:38:43,487 --> 00:38:46,797 The texts of the time say just take it down like an oyster. 630 00:38:46,847 --> 00:38:50,157 OK. ls there any more advice than that you can give me? 631 00:38:50,207 --> 00:38:53,279 - lf you're not an oyster eater, it's not helpful. - No! 632 00:38:53,807 --> 00:38:56,367 You're gonna have to work it out. Willing to give it a go? 633 00:38:56,407 --> 00:38:57,840 - Yeah, why not? - There you go. 634 00:38:57,887 --> 00:38:59,639 - Erm, so... - So dunk it in the water. 635 00:38:59,687 --> 00:39:01,803 - Just get it a bit wet? - That's it. Yeah. 636 00:39:02,167 --> 00:39:03,202 OK. Then... 637 00:39:03,247 --> 00:39:05,522 - ln your mouth, back of the tongue. - OK. 638 00:39:06,807 --> 00:39:08,604 And swig it down, swallow it. 639 00:39:08,647 --> 00:39:10,638 Oh! 640 00:39:10,807 --> 00:39:12,877 Feels like it's stuck about here! 641 00:39:12,927 --> 00:39:15,236 - Oh, my goodness! - lsn't big, isn't it? 642 00:39:15,287 --> 00:39:17,642 - Yeah. - You wouldn't get a modern tablet that size. 643 00:39:17,687 --> 00:39:22,442 But as it softens with the water and the moisture of your body, 644 00:39:22,487 --> 00:39:24,637 it'll start deforming and be easier to go down. 645 00:39:24,687 --> 00:39:27,247 Yeah, l can feel it sort of like, moving! 646 00:39:27,287 --> 00:39:29,278 - Whereabouts is it now? - lt's about here. 647 00:39:29,327 --> 00:39:31,602 - Right. - lt's getting slightly lower! 648 00:39:31,687 --> 00:39:33,279 lt'll work its way down. 649 00:39:33,327 --> 00:39:37,525 And in reality you'd have a biscuit or a piece of bread with it or something like that, 650 00:39:37,567 --> 00:39:40,684 if it was stuck, and then it physically knocks it down into the... 651 00:39:40,727 --> 00:39:42,718 - into the stomach. - There we go! 652 00:39:43,127 --> 00:39:47,564 And then dissolves there, and releases the drug, and then cures your headache, hopefully. 653 00:39:47,607 --> 00:39:48,722 Thank you. 654 00:39:48,767 --> 00:39:51,565 Bet you're glad science moved on and we have aspirin tablets. 655 00:39:51,607 --> 00:39:53,518 Oh, yes, l'm so glad! 656 00:39:53,567 --> 00:39:56,957 Little small things, rather than those, yeah, definitely. 657 00:40:01,407 --> 00:40:05,036 Photographer Terry King has set up a dark room in the lab. 658 00:40:05,087 --> 00:40:10,559 Tom is about to learn that the life of an amateur photographer could be hazardous. 659 00:40:10,607 --> 00:40:14,486 OK, Terry, we've taken a photograph. What do we do next? 660 00:40:14,527 --> 00:40:17,883 Well, what we have to do now is to develop the photograph. 661 00:40:17,927 --> 00:40:19,280 And things have changed. 662 00:40:19,327 --> 00:40:24,845 ln the late 1 880s things became a lot safer. 663 00:40:24,887 --> 00:40:29,085 But before that, say in the 1 870s, 1 860s, 664 00:40:29,127 --> 00:40:33,564 the plates would have been covered with something called collodion. 665 00:40:33,607 --> 00:40:35,563 To hold the silver solutions. 666 00:40:35,607 --> 00:40:40,965 And collodion was actually made out of gun cotton, you know, the stuff that goes bang. 667 00:40:41,007 --> 00:40:41,803 Right! 668 00:40:41,847 --> 00:40:46,523 Erm, dissolved in ether, which makes you go to sleep. 669 00:40:46,567 --> 00:40:50,037 And it tended to shorten your life. 670 00:40:50,087 --> 00:40:51,964 So as an amateur photographer, 671 00:40:52,007 --> 00:40:57,798 l could come into the pharmacy and get this stuff and do it a lot more safely, 672 00:40:57,847 --> 00:41:01,283 and it's the sort of stuff we'd be selling a lot more of towards the end of... 673 00:41:01,327 --> 00:41:05,798 Exactly. l mean, in fact it was even so safe that people used to do it on the kitchen table. 674 00:41:05,847 --> 00:41:09,078 - Right, great. - So we can sell a lot of this stuff. 675 00:41:09,127 --> 00:41:12,517 And so now let's get on with it, and let's make this place dark. 676 00:41:12,567 --> 00:41:13,556 Great. OK. 677 00:41:13,607 --> 00:41:16,405 l'll get these drapes down. 678 00:41:17,047 --> 00:41:21,598 Safer chemicals made photography much easier, and far less risky, 679 00:41:21,647 --> 00:41:24,764 and pharmacists were able to profit from the new trade. 680 00:41:27,727 --> 00:41:30,116 There we go. Here we are. 681 00:41:30,167 --> 00:41:33,682 - So is this the moment of truth, then? - The moment of truth. 682 00:41:33,727 --> 00:41:35,843 Let's see if we've got something on it. 683 00:41:37,847 --> 00:41:39,838 There we are. 684 00:41:40,447 --> 00:41:41,766 Oh, wow! 685 00:41:41,807 --> 00:41:44,321 - l think that's pretty good, don't you? - Great! 686 00:41:44,367 --> 00:41:46,358 - lt's nice, that. - Yeah, it's quite good. 687 00:41:46,407 --> 00:41:47,123 Wow! 688 00:41:47,167 --> 00:41:50,079 l think we should feel fairly pleased with ourselves. 689 00:41:50,127 --> 00:41:53,085 - Great. So, do we need to hang this up, then? - Let's hang it up. 690 00:41:53,127 --> 00:41:54,480 Shall l hold this here? 691 00:41:55,167 --> 00:41:56,885 OK. 692 00:41:56,927 --> 00:42:00,158 - Right on the edge, yeah? - Slide it in. 693 00:42:00,207 --> 00:42:01,765 - Brilliant. - There we are. 694 00:42:01,807 --> 00:42:03,206 - OK. - Lovely. 695 00:42:03,247 --> 00:42:04,236 Brilliant. 696 00:42:04,287 --> 00:42:07,882 The negative must now be left to dry before the print can be made. 697 00:42:12,767 --> 00:42:14,723 Towards the end of Victoria's reign, 698 00:42:14,767 --> 00:42:17,918 an emerging middle class with an increased disposable income 699 00:42:17,967 --> 00:42:20,640 looked to the pharmacy for more than just cures. 700 00:42:21,447 --> 00:42:24,041 They wanted to be pampered too. 701 00:42:24,087 --> 00:42:26,362 The pharmacists'expertise with chemicals 702 00:42:26,407 --> 00:42:29,922 left them well placed to take advantage of this consumer boom. 703 00:42:30,527 --> 00:42:36,079 Perfumier Alec Lawless is going to give Ruth a lesson in perfume-making. 704 00:42:36,127 --> 00:42:38,357 You've brought some amazing stuff in here, Alec. 705 00:42:38,407 --> 00:42:41,763 This is things from the perfumier's trade, yeah? 706 00:42:41,807 --> 00:42:43,479 Things for making perfumes. 707 00:42:43,527 --> 00:42:47,918 l suppose in the earlier periods, perfume was very much the reserve of the super-rich, yeah? 708 00:42:47,967 --> 00:42:49,286 Yes. Yes. 709 00:42:49,327 --> 00:42:50,885 And then that changes now? 710 00:42:50,927 --> 00:42:52,326 lt changes dramatically. 711 00:42:52,367 --> 00:42:56,883 What characterised this age was the beginning of mass production and branding. 712 00:42:57,767 --> 00:43:00,235 You could sell an eau de Cologne 713 00:43:00,287 --> 00:43:04,326 and nobody was going to say you can't call that an eau de Cologne. 714 00:43:04,367 --> 00:43:06,801 And so there were several perfumes like that. 715 00:43:06,847 --> 00:43:08,565 One was called Jockey Club. 716 00:43:08,607 --> 00:43:11,997 - There was another one called Mille Fleur. - Right, that sounds a bit nicer. 717 00:43:12,047 --> 00:43:13,605 And another called New Mown Hay. 718 00:43:13,647 --> 00:43:17,720 So basically these names became known as perfume. 719 00:43:17,767 --> 00:43:20,201 The other thing was that the pharmacist, 720 00:43:20,247 --> 00:43:22,317 because they'd been university trained, 721 00:43:22,367 --> 00:43:24,562 and they liked experimenting, 722 00:43:24,607 --> 00:43:26,996 and they had this whole cornucopia, 723 00:43:27,047 --> 00:43:31,199 and a lot of the things that were used in apothecaries for medicine 724 00:43:31,247 --> 00:43:32,680 were also perfume ingredients. 725 00:43:32,727 --> 00:43:34,206 l recognise most of the things. 726 00:43:34,247 --> 00:43:36,681 We've got a drawer full of myrrh sitting over there. 727 00:43:36,727 --> 00:43:38,001 There they go. 728 00:43:38,047 --> 00:43:39,321 That's right. 729 00:43:39,367 --> 00:43:41,164 - That's sandalwood. - Sandalwood. 730 00:43:41,207 --> 00:43:43,163 - We've got that up that end. - There you go. 731 00:43:43,207 --> 00:43:45,357 Many of these are sort of ingredients 732 00:43:45,407 --> 00:43:47,796 that we'd have, medicinally, in the pharmacy. 733 00:43:47,847 --> 00:43:50,839 How easy would it be for us as sort of, 734 00:43:50,887 --> 00:43:54,800 you know, local pharmacists to invent a perfume of our own? 735 00:43:54,847 --> 00:43:56,678 Well, a lot of them did. 736 00:43:56,727 --> 00:43:59,560 And l'm sure like a lot of recipes at the time... 737 00:43:59,607 --> 00:44:01,165 These recipes come down, 738 00:44:01,207 --> 00:44:03,721 but it's basically what you had in the fridge! 739 00:44:05,647 --> 00:44:08,002 Could you give us some advice on how to make our own? 740 00:44:08,047 --> 00:44:09,446 What sort of things should we do 741 00:44:09,487 --> 00:44:12,923 and perhaps even a name... what sort of name would be appropriate? 742 00:44:12,967 --> 00:44:17,119 Maybe we should pay homage to Queen Victoria in some way? 743 00:44:17,167 --> 00:44:22,799 Erm, and that would tie in very nicely with parts of the Empire. 744 00:44:22,847 --> 00:44:23,677 lndia. 745 00:44:23,727 --> 00:44:26,116 l mean, this is East lndian sandalwood. 746 00:44:26,167 --> 00:44:27,759 Finest, erm... 747 00:44:27,807 --> 00:44:29,843 Cor, flipping heck, that's powerful! 748 00:44:29,887 --> 00:44:32,276 lt's one of the finest of all perfume ingredients, 749 00:44:32,327 --> 00:44:34,795 and of course Queen Victoria's the Empress of lndia. 750 00:44:34,847 --> 00:44:36,883 - Empress of lndia. - Empress of lndia. 751 00:44:36,927 --> 00:44:40,078 l have to say, that sounds a lot nicer than Jockey Club! 752 00:44:40,127 --> 00:44:42,880 Now all we've got to decide is how to make it smell nice. 753 00:44:42,927 --> 00:44:46,886 Well, there were two oils and essences 754 00:44:46,927 --> 00:44:49,157 that were highly revered at the time 755 00:44:49,207 --> 00:44:53,086 but still not used in perfumery because of the exorbitant cost. 756 00:44:53,127 --> 00:44:58,042 One of them was rose otto, and the other one was sandalwood from Mysore. 757 00:44:58,087 --> 00:45:02,478 So we're going to use both of those, because we want our perfume to be really posh. 758 00:45:02,527 --> 00:45:03,596 Yes! 759 00:45:03,647 --> 00:45:08,846 But also relatively cheap to make that we can sell for a high profit. 760 00:45:08,887 --> 00:45:10,036 Oh, good point. 761 00:45:10,087 --> 00:45:12,726 OK. Well, we can put some other thi... 762 00:45:12,767 --> 00:45:15,156 - We can put coriander in. - That sounds cheaper. 763 00:45:15,207 --> 00:45:17,641 - Cos that's a really nice little top note. - Yeah. 764 00:45:17,687 --> 00:45:21,726 The daft thing is, you know, when l said l was doing this, the boys want to have a go too! 765 00:45:21,767 --> 00:45:23,246 Boys and perfume? Whoo! 766 00:45:23,287 --> 00:45:25,881 - Nick and Tom both want to have a go too. - lt could happen. 767 00:45:25,927 --> 00:45:27,838 We thought we might sort of all have a go. 768 00:45:27,887 --> 00:45:32,517 Why don't we split the perfume into top notes, middle notes and base notes, 769 00:45:32,567 --> 00:45:35,684 and then each of you can have a play around 770 00:45:35,727 --> 00:45:41,006 and come up with the combination for each of those that you like the best. 771 00:45:41,047 --> 00:45:42,765 OK. l'll have a go with that. 772 00:45:42,807 --> 00:45:46,846 Pharmacists were creating perfumes because they had the raw materials there. 773 00:45:46,887 --> 00:45:50,641 They had the plant products, the aromatic products, the essences. 774 00:45:50,687 --> 00:45:53,724 And also they needed to make money. 775 00:45:54,327 --> 00:45:57,842 - l've got some money to deposit. - Certainly, sir. Thank you. 776 00:45:57,887 --> 00:46:00,276 lf you look in the Chemist+Druggist of the time, 777 00:46:00,327 --> 00:46:03,364 you'll see, you know, whole pages of bankruptcies and so on. 778 00:46:03,407 --> 00:46:05,363 lt was an expensive thing to be in. 779 00:46:05,407 --> 00:46:08,956 You needed to stock your shop, you needed to buy the shop or rent it and so on. 780 00:46:09,007 --> 00:46:10,235 They had a lot of outgoings. 781 00:46:10,287 --> 00:46:12,721 And they needed the income to keep going as well, 782 00:46:12,767 --> 00:46:16,646 so they were diversifying into any areas to do with their knowledge, 783 00:46:16,687 --> 00:46:20,726 to do with their knowledge of chemicals and so on, which allowed them to make income. 784 00:46:20,767 --> 00:46:22,758 - Thank you very much. - Have a good day. 785 00:46:22,807 --> 00:46:24,798 - Bye-bye. - Thank you, sir. 786 00:46:30,047 --> 00:46:35,724 ln the lab, Tom's photography lesson is about to reveal a snap shot of Victorian society. 787 00:46:36,607 --> 00:46:42,284 He's mixing up gum arabic, a gluelike substance sometimes used in food preparation, 788 00:46:42,327 --> 00:46:47,640 with the light sensitive chemical potassium dichromate and a coloured pigment. 789 00:46:47,687 --> 00:46:51,396 Together they create a photographic emulsion that reacts with sunlight, 790 00:46:51,447 --> 00:46:55,963 a technique that was particularly attractive to the discerning photographer. 791 00:46:56,807 --> 00:47:00,595 So this idea of, l don't know, making up, almost a paint, isn't it? 792 00:47:00,647 --> 00:47:01,716 Yeah, that's right. 793 00:47:01,767 --> 00:47:04,759 This is the sort of thing amateur photographers would be doing, 794 00:47:04,807 --> 00:47:07,037 towards the end of the 1 9th century. 795 00:47:07,087 --> 00:47:11,763 Well, what was happening was that all the amateur photographers had got Mr Kodak. 796 00:47:11,807 --> 00:47:13,684 Mr George Eastman. 797 00:47:13,727 --> 00:47:15,922 And all the posh people thought, 798 00:47:15,967 --> 00:47:20,358 ''Oh, dear, all these nasty lower orders are making photographs. 799 00:47:20,407 --> 00:47:23,001 And we've got to do something more arty.'' 800 00:47:23,047 --> 00:47:27,757 And this was a way of making photographs look like paintings. 801 00:47:27,807 --> 00:47:30,116 lt's essentially a photographic watercolour. 802 00:47:30,167 --> 00:47:34,524 What we need to do now, Tom, is for you, this time, to coat the paper. 803 00:47:34,567 --> 00:47:36,205 - OK? - Ready. 804 00:47:36,247 --> 00:47:38,317 Ready, off you go. 805 00:47:38,367 --> 00:47:39,595 That's it. 806 00:47:39,647 --> 00:47:41,922 - Want more? - Continue, yes. 807 00:47:41,967 --> 00:47:44,527 That's it. 808 00:47:44,567 --> 00:47:46,523 lt really is just like painting, isn't it? 809 00:47:46,567 --> 00:47:50,480 - lt's amazing how close to painting it is. - lt's just like painting a front door. 810 00:47:51,047 --> 00:47:53,402 Right, that's fine. Well done. 811 00:47:55,887 --> 00:48:00,244 Tom and Terry have reached the final stage of the photographic process. 812 00:48:00,927 --> 00:48:02,485 To create the finished picture, 813 00:48:02,527 --> 00:48:07,999 the gum arabic mixture needs to be placed under the negative and exposed to the sun. 814 00:48:08,047 --> 00:48:10,402 l mean, photography's absolutely essential 815 00:48:10,447 --> 00:48:14,156 to so many different activities in the late 1 9th century, isn't it? 816 00:48:14,207 --> 00:48:16,038 - l mean... - Well, yeah. 817 00:48:16,087 --> 00:48:20,638 Right from the beginning it was everything from military, spying, 818 00:48:20,687 --> 00:48:23,076 taking photographs from balloons... 819 00:48:23,127 --> 00:48:26,597 Practically any activity, human activity, you can think of, 820 00:48:26,647 --> 00:48:31,323 photography was involved in one way or another, just as it is today. 821 00:48:34,727 --> 00:48:37,605 The sunlight hardens the gum arabic mixture, 822 00:48:37,647 --> 00:48:43,483 binding the pigment to the paper and creating an image which looks rather like a watercolour. 823 00:48:43,527 --> 00:48:47,122 The popularity of this artistic method with wealthier photographers 824 00:48:47,167 --> 00:48:50,876 added to the pharmacy's already lucrative photographic business. 825 00:48:52,127 --> 00:48:55,119 l can now remove the glass and the negative, and there we have... 826 00:48:55,167 --> 00:48:56,759 - And there we go. - We have an image. 827 00:48:56,807 --> 00:49:00,686 And what we want to do now is to wash away the softer parts, 828 00:49:00,727 --> 00:49:04,959 so that we get an image with more contrast. 829 00:49:05,007 --> 00:49:09,000 Many of the developments in photography actually came from pharmacists. 830 00:49:09,047 --> 00:49:12,926 So pharmacists are sort of, they're involved with the technology, in developing... 831 00:49:12,967 --> 00:49:16,039 - They were involved. - All the chemicals. All these different things. 832 00:49:16,087 --> 00:49:18,123 And it's the sort of thing maybe, l don't know, 833 00:49:18,167 --> 00:49:22,683 if you're really good at this particular side of the pharmacy business, 834 00:49:22,727 --> 00:49:25,195 do you think you could set up on your own maybe? 835 00:49:25,247 --> 00:49:27,522 Oh, l don't think there's any doubt about that. 836 00:49:27,567 --> 00:49:31,924 They supplied the professional photographer. 837 00:49:31,967 --> 00:49:33,286 Oh, yeah! 838 00:49:33,327 --> 00:49:39,596 And of course, millions of amateur photographers throughout the world. 839 00:49:39,647 --> 00:49:42,036 Right, shall we take this and hang it up to dry? 840 00:49:42,087 --> 00:49:43,998 l think that's a good idea! 841 00:49:44,047 --> 00:49:46,038 Right! 842 00:49:50,727 --> 00:49:54,959 Nick, Ruth and Tom are receiving a crash course in perfume making 843 00:49:55,007 --> 00:49:59,603 as they try to create a scent that would have appealed to the Victorian nose. 844 00:49:59,647 --> 00:50:05,119 1 9th-century perfumiers applied scientific ideas to the ancient art of perfume making. 845 00:50:05,167 --> 00:50:09,843 They used musical terms to describe how a scent should be constructed. 846 00:50:09,887 --> 00:50:14,677 This symphony of smell was made up of three separate mixtures of fragrant oils 847 00:50:14,727 --> 00:50:19,642 known as the top, middle and base notes, which evaporate at different rates on the skin. 848 00:50:20,607 --> 00:50:25,317 Perfumier Alec Lawless has given Tom the job of making up the long lasting base note. 849 00:50:27,687 --> 00:50:30,918 lt seems like two of these are a lot stronger than the other three. 850 00:50:30,967 --> 00:50:31,638 Yes. 851 00:50:31,687 --> 00:50:35,202 And l was wondering, if l'm sort of making, is it the base note? 852 00:50:35,247 --> 00:50:36,839 Yes. Yeah. 853 00:50:36,887 --> 00:50:40,357 - What's the idea? - These things are the most tenacious, 854 00:50:40,407 --> 00:50:43,319 and the reason for that is that they're heavier molecules 855 00:50:43,367 --> 00:50:45,562 - than either the top or the middle notes. - OK. 856 00:50:45,607 --> 00:50:49,202 So they're gonna retard the evaporation of the perfume. 857 00:50:49,247 --> 00:50:50,566 They're gonna make it last. 858 00:50:50,607 --> 00:50:53,485 - So it's the bits that come out last basically? - That's right. 859 00:50:53,527 --> 00:50:57,122 This'll be what's left on the skin. Now, all of these... 860 00:50:57,167 --> 00:51:00,796 Nick has been entrusted with the most expensive ingredients. 861 00:51:00,847 --> 00:51:02,360 The smell is so intense... 862 00:51:02,407 --> 00:51:05,285 - that it's sort of driving out anything else. - OK. 863 00:51:05,767 --> 00:51:10,716 These are the middle notes, so it's the floral heart, the main personality of the perfume. 864 00:51:10,767 --> 00:51:14,316 - And these guys are really expensive. - Right. 865 00:51:15,007 --> 00:51:18,602 The powerful fragrances are proving a little too much for Ruth. 866 00:51:19,327 --> 00:51:21,238 The lady is very sensitive and delicate. 867 00:51:21,287 --> 00:51:23,642 You told me these were not overpowering. You lied. 868 00:51:23,687 --> 00:51:26,042 - Oh, really? - They are... 869 00:51:26,087 --> 00:51:27,725 Sorry. 870 00:51:27,767 --> 00:51:28,961 OK. 871 00:51:29,687 --> 00:51:32,679 Well, you're obviously incredibly sensitive. 872 00:51:32,727 --> 00:51:34,843 Well, l smelled all four of them first. 873 00:51:34,887 --> 00:51:37,196 By which time my nose was beginning to burn. 874 00:51:37,247 --> 00:51:37,963 Yeah. 875 00:51:38,007 --> 00:51:42,125 And then l thought, well, the one l liked best still was the bergamot oil, 876 00:51:42,167 --> 00:51:43,486 so l put more of that in, 877 00:51:43,527 --> 00:51:45,882 and you'd mentioned that the lime was strong. 878 00:51:45,927 --> 00:51:47,565 - So l put least of that in. - Yes. 879 00:51:47,607 --> 00:51:50,519 l'm going to go for that one. 880 00:51:50,567 --> 00:51:52,125 l suppose l ought to smell it, then. 881 00:51:52,167 --> 00:51:54,522 - OK. So... - They're still being masked by those. 882 00:51:54,567 --> 00:51:57,206 l have to get somewhere where there isn't already a smell! 883 00:51:57,247 --> 00:51:58,680 - Oh, bless! - Ooh! 884 00:52:00,167 --> 00:52:01,486 That's very orangey. 885 00:52:01,527 --> 00:52:04,678 lf the team's efforts can be combined into a popular perfume, 886 00:52:04,727 --> 00:52:09,198 then the Empress of lndia scent could be a real money-spinner for the pharmacy. 887 00:52:09,247 --> 00:52:14,162 Now in order to have some sort of structure, these would be blended. 888 00:52:14,207 --> 00:52:18,997 Roughly, 50% of it's going to be the floral heart, the number two. 889 00:52:19,047 --> 00:52:20,162 Right. Yeah. 890 00:52:20,207 --> 00:52:25,235 - 20% the top notes and 30% the bass notes. - Right. 891 00:52:25,287 --> 00:52:27,721 - Just as a rule of thumb. - Fantastic. 892 00:52:27,767 --> 00:52:32,887 l'm also going to put some musk in there, and one or two other things, and then... 893 00:52:32,927 --> 00:52:34,724 And make it into entirely your own... 894 00:52:34,767 --> 00:52:38,521 Well, they were too expensive to let you play with! 895 00:52:40,167 --> 00:52:45,036 Alec blends the three sets of fragrant oils together to produce the finished perfume. 896 00:52:50,287 --> 00:52:55,680 So if you wave it around a bit to encourage the oxygen to, erm... 897 00:52:55,727 --> 00:52:57,957 Accelerate the evaporation. 898 00:52:58,007 --> 00:52:59,884 l don't need to. l can smell it. 899 00:52:59,927 --> 00:53:02,236 l didn't smell either of your two independently, 900 00:53:02,287 --> 00:53:05,723 and this certainly smells very different from mine. When it's blended. 901 00:53:05,767 --> 00:53:07,758 - That's all right. - lt is quite complex. 902 00:53:07,807 --> 00:53:09,843 - Smells of benzene. - That's quite nice. 903 00:53:09,887 --> 00:53:11,445 Yes! 904 00:53:11,487 --> 00:53:14,399 Let's compare... l've been looking forward to this all day. 905 00:53:14,447 --> 00:53:16,438 Yes, absolutely! 906 00:53:17,047 --> 00:53:17,763 Hm. 907 00:53:17,807 --> 00:53:21,959 l think it's really funny that it's you chaps enjoying the perfume more than me! 908 00:53:22,007 --> 00:53:23,281 TOM: lt's great fun. 909 00:53:23,327 --> 00:53:27,843 l think all we need to do now is to get that properly bottled and a nice label on it. 910 00:53:27,887 --> 00:53:28,603 Yeah. 911 00:53:28,647 --> 00:53:31,115 - And then start making some money out of it. - Exactly. 912 00:53:31,167 --> 00:53:33,635 We can have different dilutions for different people. 913 00:53:33,687 --> 00:53:35,325 - Yes. - Different classes. 914 00:53:35,367 --> 00:53:37,358 That's right. 915 00:53:38,487 --> 00:53:40,603 Here we have the upper-class dilution! 916 00:53:42,727 --> 00:53:47,437 Ruth is keen to find out if the Empress of lndia will be a hit with the ladies of the town. 917 00:53:47,887 --> 00:53:48,922 Good morning. 918 00:53:50,127 --> 00:53:50,798 Hello. 919 00:53:50,847 --> 00:53:51,996 Oh, hello! 920 00:53:52,047 --> 00:53:53,082 Hello. 921 00:53:53,127 --> 00:53:54,640 l wonder if you could help me. 922 00:53:54,687 --> 00:53:57,076 l'm doing a bit of market research about perfume. 923 00:53:57,127 --> 00:53:57,843 Yeah. 924 00:53:57,887 --> 00:53:58,956 l love perfume. 925 00:53:59,007 --> 00:54:00,645 - Really? - Yes, l do, yes. 926 00:54:00,687 --> 00:54:02,200 That's a very fine bottle. 927 00:54:02,247 --> 00:54:03,475 lt's nice, isn't it? 928 00:54:03,527 --> 00:54:05,802 Let me know what you really think. 929 00:54:05,847 --> 00:54:10,204 lt's quite a potent one, so just have a little sniff first, see what you think. 930 00:54:10,247 --> 00:54:11,316 Oh, yeah, it is. 931 00:54:11,367 --> 00:54:13,722 - lt's quite strong. - Strongish, yeah. 932 00:54:13,767 --> 00:54:14,836 Oh, it's lovely. 933 00:54:14,887 --> 00:54:17,401 - Yeah? - lt's quite flowery. 934 00:54:17,447 --> 00:54:20,405 lf l just pop just a tiny little bit on there. 935 00:54:20,447 --> 00:54:21,482 Yeah. 936 00:54:22,607 --> 00:54:23,642 Mmm! 937 00:54:23,687 --> 00:54:25,325 Uh! Oh! 938 00:54:25,367 --> 00:54:27,198 - lt is a strong one, isn't it? - Mmm. 939 00:54:27,247 --> 00:54:28,600 lt's growing on me. 940 00:54:28,647 --> 00:54:30,126 Well, that's a good sign. 941 00:54:30,167 --> 00:54:31,520 Mmm. 942 00:54:31,567 --> 00:54:32,920 - Not nice, is it? - Not nice. 943 00:54:32,967 --> 00:54:34,923 l think it's more for you than for me. 944 00:54:34,967 --> 00:54:39,199 One of the things the perfumier was saying to me was that it smells different on everybody. 945 00:54:43,887 --> 00:54:45,206 Oh, it's beautiful. 946 00:54:45,247 --> 00:54:45,997 Yeah? 947 00:54:46,047 --> 00:54:48,117 - lt smells expensive. - Your sort of thing? 948 00:54:48,167 --> 00:54:49,998 Yes, l like it very much. 949 00:54:50,047 --> 00:54:54,757 ln the Victorian period you begin to see perfumes getting a little bit cheaper, 950 00:54:54,807 --> 00:54:59,483 so that people like schoolmistresses could afford, occasionally, a little bit of perfume. 951 00:54:59,527 --> 00:55:01,165 l'm going to have some for Christmas. 952 00:55:01,207 --> 00:55:04,085 You think this is something that you would actually enjoy, 953 00:55:04,127 --> 00:55:06,118 that would stand up against a modern perfume? 954 00:55:06,167 --> 00:55:11,116 Oh, definitely, it's quite a strong, powerful smell. Yes, and it's quite flowery, which is lovely. 955 00:55:11,167 --> 00:55:14,318 We were going to call it Empress of lndia. What do you think about that? 956 00:55:14,367 --> 00:55:16,961 l think that sounds really royal and regal. l like that. 957 00:55:21,087 --> 00:55:23,806 Tom's finished photograph is ready for hanging. 958 00:55:27,007 --> 00:55:28,998 Just had our photograph framed. 959 00:55:30,367 --> 00:55:31,800 l'm really proud of it actually. 960 00:55:31,847 --> 00:55:36,363 And it's such a long process to make, all very much more involved than l imagined. 961 00:55:36,407 --> 00:55:39,319 lt was more sort of painting a watercolour than anything else. 962 00:55:40,007 --> 00:55:44,319 l mean, very different to the point and click photography we do today. 963 00:55:44,367 --> 00:55:49,395 And the idea is we'll put this on the wall and people will come in and say, 964 00:55:49,447 --> 00:55:50,675 ''Oh, that looks great. 965 00:55:50,727 --> 00:55:54,242 How did you, you know, how do l get to make something like that?'' 966 00:55:57,007 --> 00:55:58,122 Yes. 967 00:55:58,807 --> 00:56:03,676 See the shop and then us in the middle there, looking a little bit like ghosts, you know. 968 00:56:04,567 --> 00:56:06,683 Yeah. 969 00:56:09,487 --> 00:56:12,843 Nick, Ruth and Tom have traced the evolution of the pharmacy 970 00:56:12,887 --> 00:56:15,799 through more than 60 years of Victoria's reign, 971 00:56:16,487 --> 00:56:21,925 reliving a revolution in public healthcare that put a chemist's shop in every town in Britain. 972 00:56:23,047 --> 00:56:28,041 Today's modern pharmacy stocks a vast range of consumer goods 973 00:56:28,087 --> 00:56:33,241 and this is a direct result of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Victorian pharmacists. 974 00:56:34,487 --> 00:56:37,638 By the death of Queen Victoria in 1 901, 975 00:56:37,687 --> 00:56:43,080 the pharmacy was forever established as the high street institution we know today. 976 00:56:45,967 --> 00:56:47,719 l'm about finished back here. 977 00:56:47,767 --> 00:56:50,600 - How are you doing? - Yeah, l think l'm pretty much done here. 978 00:56:50,647 --> 00:56:51,443 Yeah. 979 00:56:51,487 --> 00:56:53,637 Been a long journey, hasn't it? 980 00:56:56,447 --> 00:56:59,245 l'm never going to go into a pharmacy with the same eyes again. 981 00:56:59,287 --> 00:57:00,276 Never. 982 00:57:00,327 --> 00:57:03,603 You take it for granted. lt's one of those things that's always there. 983 00:57:03,647 --> 00:57:05,080 - There you are! - Look at that! 984 00:57:05,127 --> 00:57:06,321 That's rising! 985 00:57:06,367 --> 00:57:12,556 l think l value the skills and the experience and the expertise of pharmacists 986 00:57:12,607 --> 00:57:15,804 so much more than l did before we started. 987 00:57:17,127 --> 00:57:20,517 The 1 9th century, there's so many different things going on. 988 00:57:20,567 --> 00:57:25,766 You know, it's a place of scientific exploration and commercial development, 989 00:57:25,807 --> 00:57:30,119 and all these different themes you don't think about when you're just going to the pharmacy. 990 00:57:30,167 --> 00:57:32,158 Go on, Tilly, just for us. 991 00:57:32,407 --> 00:57:38,721 l think l'll take away pride in the fact that chemists are retail environments. 992 00:57:38,767 --> 00:57:39,882 Here we have some. 993 00:57:39,927 --> 00:57:43,715 And that's not something to be ashamed of, it's something to be proud of. 994 00:57:43,767 --> 00:57:48,841 lt's something which brought health to the masses in an accessible, effective way, 995 00:57:48,887 --> 00:57:53,199 and it's something we should be proud of and celebrating. 996 00:57:53,247 --> 00:57:54,566 (Clapping) 997 00:57:55,567 --> 00:57:56,886 (Cheering) 998 00:57:59,807 --> 00:58:03,800 TOM: l suppose we'd better head off, then. - Yeah. Leave this lovely place behind. 999 00:58:03,847 --> 00:58:05,041 Right, well. 1000 00:58:05,087 --> 00:58:08,557 - lt's sad to see it go, really. - lt is. lt is... l'll be very sad. 1001 00:58:10,527 --> 00:58:14,202 TOM: lt'll be sad not being part of this Victorian world any more. 1002 00:58:14,487 --> 00:58:16,478 lt is time to go, though, isn't it?