An Arcane Attic

While wandering through crowded Borough Market, Dave remembered seeing a sign for an operating theatre somewhere nearby. So on Saturday Den, Dave and I ventured out to London Bridge to explore the Old Operating Theatre Musem and Herb Garret. We had a lot of fun poking around in the 'Harry Potter' attic and the rather gruesome Theatre, which are in the roof of St Thomas' Church. The Attic was used from 1703 by St Thomas' Hospital Apothecary to cure and dry herbs used in medicinal compounds given to the patients. It was 'forgotten about' for nearly 100 years before it was rediscovered in 1956!

Lots of herbs, both familiar and exotic.









Interesting instruments.






Potions! And other strange ingredients.





They make fascinating still-life studies.


Snailwater was regularly prescribed by a Dr Richard Mead... I don't know if it helped anyone though...

More arcana.




The operating theatre is the oldest surviving in Europe, built in 1822 before the introduction of anaesthetics and antiseptic surgical procedures. It has a false floor, and in between the two floors the space was filled with sawdust to soak up blood from the operations and stop it from leaking down into the Church below! London is full of intriguing medical museums with rich histories.