Ep.13 - Head To Toe - Lungs
Join us as we explore the history of medicine, from head to toe! This time: the lungs.
In this episode we explore how central the lungs were to Ancient Greek and Roman ideas about medicine and the body.
Renaissance illustrations of the lungs were detailed and beautiful – but understanding of exactly what the lungs did and how they worked was still to be developed.
We also discuss the historical treatment of asthma with ‘medicinal’ cigarettes, along with other supposed uses of tobacco to protect from the plague and as an antidote to poisoning.
We also explore some of the most unusual lung-based medicines, including breast milk, sugar candy and liquorice!
Credits
Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.
Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.
Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.
Historical clip credit: Defeat tuberculosis. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
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