Operations before anaesthesia and the surprising survival rate, at The Old Operating Theatre.
25th February History Travel Newsletter
Hello Fellow History Lover!
This week:
The Old Operating Theatre in this week’s Tea Time History Chat Live
"There was good reason for Elizabeth to be terrified!" Dr Nicola Tallis talks us through the tumultuous childhood and young adulthood of Elizabeth I, and why another book on the most famous of English Queens was vital to understanding her. Now on general release.
The Rise of the Tudors: 21 - 27 September 2024. Join historians to delve into the beginnings of the most famous dynasty of them all! Details below.
If you missed last week’s newsletter, here is what you can find in it. Read it by clicking here.
Holbein at the Tudor Court in this week’s Tea Time History Chat Live
My interview with Dr Nicola Tallis about her forthcoming book on Elizabeth I’s life before she became Queen and how it shaped her as a person and a monarch
Grab a place on THIS May’s The Anne Boleyn Tour, 16th - 20th May 2024
Get your tickets for this Spring’s Online History Festival, The Stuarts - Click Here for tickets. £21.50 (£18 for members of my Patreon, ‘British History’)
The Old Operating Theatre
Tea Time History Chat Live
In this week’s Tea Time History Chat Live I talked about the Old Operating Theatre.
This is the women’s operating theatre at the Old St Thomas’ Hospital, Southwark. It dates from 1822, before the advent of anaesthesia! Surgery was undertaken, understandably, as a very last resort and the main risks of death were from shock, blood loss and infection. Due to pain, skilled surgeons were those who could perform the surgery fast, and the mortality rate was a surprisingly low 30% at this hospital.
Ironically, the advent of anaesthetics to block pain and put a patient to sleep led to an increase in the mortality rate, as surgeons undertook more complex surgeries now that they could operate for longer.
I go into all this and the reasons why surgeons wore dirty aprons (!) in this week’s livestream recording.
You can watch that episode on Youtube or catch up on the go with the podcast.
Historian Interview - Dr Nicola Tallis
You can hear Nicola speak, in person, on The Rise of the Tudors Tour 21 - 27 September 2024. Details below/
Watch on Youtube
Listen on the Podcast, click below
Nicola’s fifth book, ‘Young Elizabeth. Prisoner. Princess. Queen,’ is on sale from the 29th February (UK, USA and Canada. Australia is a little later).
You can access the extended and ad-free edit of my interview with Nicola (and 26 other historian interview episodes) now, at Patreon.com/BritishHistory (if you are not already a member click the same link and join for just £5/month)
The Rise of the Tudors Tour
21st - 27th September 2024
The Rise of the Tudors’ Tour is a 6 night/ 7 day, luxury, fully escorted tour exploring the rise of one of the most famous royal dynasties of all time, The Tudors.
As part of a small group you will visit Castles and Cathedrals in Wales and the border counties, returning each evening to our luxury hotel in comfort and style on our luxury air-conditioned coach.
Gareth Russell, best-selling author and historian accompanies Philippa Brewell, your dedicated Tour Manager, as resident tour historian. Other historians will be joining us to deliver fascinating talks, at which you will be able to ask questions, have books signed and get photos.
The tour group will begin by meeting at our convenient pick-up point in London before heading to beautiful Wales, where we will stay for two nights. Using our luxury hotel as a base, the tour will visit Pembroke Castle and Raglan Castle, both closely associated with the early life of Henry VII.
We then come back over the border, into England, to visit more Cathedrals and Castles associated with the early Tudors. Winchester, the birthplace of Arthur Tudor, Gloucester Cathedral which saw huge change with each Tudor monarch, Ludlow Castle where Arthur Tudor died and Worcester Cathedral where he is buried.
Speakers on The Rise of the Tudors tour, September 2024
The Stuarts Return this Spring!
Grab your tickets! (All talks are available until 31st May 2024)
Talks at The Stuarts Online History Festival
Gareth Russell: The Life of a Stuart Queen. Anna of Denmark
Prof Alice Hunt: Republic: Britain's Revolutionary Decade, 1649-1660
Andrea Zuvich - Mistresses at the Stuart Court
Julian Humphrys - A Hunted King: The Escape of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester
Katie Wignall - The Great Fire of London. Virtual walking tour of the city of London following the story of this harrowing event.
Philippa Brewell - Gunpowder, Terrorism and Betrayal. What cause the Gunpowder Plot?
I hope you’ll catch me live this week as I’ll be talking about Roman London and where you can still visit, Wednesday at 3pm (UK time) live on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Don’t worry if you can’t make it live because you can always catch up on those channels or on the podcast. If you’re subscribed to me here you will receive a notification when a new podcast is available.
Have a great week!
Philippa