A Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Museum exhibition exploring the unofficial story of medical practice in England 1500–1800. Discover how people’s lives and health were shaped outside the formal medical sphere through an extraordinary collection of recipe books in the RCP Museum latest exhibition. Recipe books were highly collaborative, incredibly detailed, and painstakingly handwritten household manuals. Produced mainly within rural communities, they contained recipes for preparing and preserving food, household products, and medical remedies. The books show us how medicine was understood and practiced at community level. They are glimpses into a world in which communities were self-sufficient, and people were intimately connected to one another, the land, the seasons and the cosmos. Their contents contributed to the very survival of families and communities. The exhibition is free to visit as part of your trip to the RCP Museum.

Join us for an evening exploring (and tasting!) fascinating research into early modern recipe books considering both culinary contributions and properties of the medicinal plant ingredients. The evening will begin with an introduction to the ‘Healing words’ exhibition with curator and archive manager Pamela Forde followed by two lectures. There will also be an exciting interlude for historic chocolate tasting including the chance to take home your own hot chocolate made to a recipe from one of the RCP books! For our first lecture, join Dr Amanda Herbert, Associate Professor of Early Modern Americas in the History Department at Durham University to discuss 'Mountebanks, farm workers, and wet-nurses: culinary contribution and collaboration in early modern British recipe books'. During the drinks break, Dr Herbert will lead a delicious tasting session with early chocolate ingredients and discuss their history. You'll even get to make your own special blend of early modern drinking chocolate to take home. Our second lecture is with Dr. Henry Oakeley, RCP fellow, and expert on medicinal plants who will lead the audience to explore 'Healing plants: historic medicines in the RCP Garden'.