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4 reviews for:
Victorian Pharmacy: Rediscovering Home Remedies and Recipes
Jane Eastoe, Ruth Goodman
3.73 AVERAGE
4 reviews for:
Victorian Pharmacy: Rediscovering Home Remedies and Recipes
Jane Eastoe, Ruth Goodman
3.73 AVERAGE
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Fascinating book that explores the role of the druggist in Victorian society. The book accompanies a BBC series but it's an easy and informative read even if you haven't seen it. Discussions around disease, public health, medical advances and poisons are interspersed with recipes and photos from the series. The toxic recipes are marked with a skull and crossbones, although the rarity or illegality of the ingredients would make them difficult to concoct, while some of the other remedies sound remarkably familiar (e.g. dill water). The grammar occasionally leaves a bit to be desired and it could have used a last copyedit before publication but this a minor niggle for an otherwise interesting book.
A lot of interesting content, but lots of weird 2-page spreads of photographs of modern day people in victorian garb posing as if for a stock photo??? The design is generally nice, just, wh...y. Would also have liked some more info on the recipes which are given as useable (read: nonpoisonous) -- are they effective at all, if so why, etc. This is more of a historical book than a scientific one.
An interesting look at the history of Pharmacies and how they came into their own in the Victorian era. One of the major players is Boots and this books talks about the development of the chain from humble beginnings.
It's not a deep book and most of the recipes in it are clearly marked with a skull and crossbones, today they would be considered to be way too dangerous to even try. I must admit there were a few where I played a game of spot the dangerous chemical (who knew having a background in chemistry could make you smile!)
This is a companion to the TV series, which I've seen a few episodes of, and as a companion it's good. As well as the dangerous recipes it also has some more usable sidebarred recipes. Everything from curry powder to hand cream.
As a starting point on looking at earlier medicine it's good, there's a pretty extensive bibliography in the back. Who knew that Boots had a subscription library until 1966?
It's not a deep book and most of the recipes in it are clearly marked with a skull and crossbones, today they would be considered to be way too dangerous to even try. I must admit there were a few where I played a game of spot the dangerous chemical (who knew having a background in chemistry could make you smile!)
This is a companion to the TV series, which I've seen a few episodes of, and as a companion it's good. As well as the dangerous recipes it also has some more usable sidebarred recipes. Everything from curry powder to hand cream.
As a starting point on looking at earlier medicine it's good, there's a pretty extensive bibliography in the back. Who knew that Boots had a subscription library until 1966?