Medical London: Plagues & Pandemics
A Private Chauffeured Tour Through the City’s Medical Past
London has long been a city of disease, cures, and medical breakthroughs. From filthy medieval streets to groundbreaking medical discoveries, this tour explores the dark, fascinating, and often bizarre history of medicine in the capital. Travel in comfort as your expert guide takes you to the locations where epidemics spread, questionable treatments were performed, and pioneers revolutionized healthcare.
Highlights:
• See horrifying Victorian anti-masturbation devices once used as “medical treatments.”
• Visit the remains of London’s first hospital for orphans, founded by a philanthropist.
• Hear incredible stories of British medical reformers who changed the course of history.
• Explore the site of Florence Nightingale’s first hospital, where modern nursing began.
• Visit the oldest surviving medical society in England, founded in 1773.
Tour Overview:
Your journey begins at the statue of Thomas Coram, a philanthropist who campaigned to save abandoned infants, leading to the creation of London’s first hospital for orphans. Drive past the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, once a place for treating women deemed “incurable,” and hear shocking tales of Victorian medicine, including cholera outbreaks and strange hysteria treatments that led to the invention of the first vibrator.
Next, travel to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where scientists battled deadly epidemics brought into the city over the centuries. Pass by the Cardiovascular Society, founded by a Scottish cardiologist knighted by King George V, before arriving at the site of Florence Nightingale’s first hospital. Learn how this pioneering nurse revolutionized British healthcare, particularly during the Crimean War, setting the foundation for modern nursing.
Your final stop is at England’s oldest surviving medical society, founded in 1773 by Dr. John Coakley Lettsom, a Quaker physician and philanthropist. End your tour at the Royal Society of Medicine, one of the UK’s most prestigious medical institutions, where cutting-edge advancements continue today. This chauffeured experience is a must for history lovers, medical professionals, and those fascinated by the strange and shocking past of London’s healthcare system.
Price:
£1484 per group