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Falling ill 150 years ago required remarkably good health. The doctor might well have made things much worse – if he didn't kill you outright. The history of medicine is stranger and more disturbing than you can imagine, and if you choose to invite us in, by the end of the evening you'll have an extraordinary appreciation for living in Denmark today! Welcome to tales of science and the medical arts from the Middle Ages to almost the present day. Hear about medicine, herbs, surgery, the plague, cholera, and poverty in Copenhagen. About the days when people believed that dried earthworms wrung out in vinegar could heal a wound, and that bloodletting could cure gout, herpes, asthma, and insanity. Hear also about some of the colourful figures who were there as progress took off. It's a story of an era where faith and superstition collide with knowledge. At the same time, it's a story of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment – and a Denmark in transformation.
Our stories take you into the plague cemeteries. We meet the plague doctor and the barber-surgeon. We hear about bloodletting and the consequences it had – including for one of our kings. Copenhagen, like other major European cities, was plagued by numerous epidemics. But Copenhagen was also a remarkably filthy city. Hear the story of Peter Panum, who took on 2,000 years of medical thinking and turned medicine into a modern science in Denmark. We also explore the monastery gardens, the knowledge of the monks, and the plants they brought with them to Denmark. We tell the story of the anatomical theatre from 1645, where the first public dissection was performed – and where the bodies came from. We tell of Eve's curse and the 'saviour of mothers', and of when hand-washing became mandatory at Copenhagen's Maternity Hospital. We take on tuberculosis, which in 1900 was responsible for every third death in Denmark. Hear also the story of the Christmas Seal homes. Finally, we turn to one of the most famous affairs in Danish history – the love triangle between Christian VII, Caroline Mathilde, and the royal physician Struensee. While the royal affair unfolded, one of the most feared diseases of all – smallpox – ravaged most of the world. We close with the story of scurvy – the plague of the sea – which cost far more lives than sea battles, storms, and other diseases combined. Two million sailors died. It was known that roughly half of a crew on long voyages would die of the disease – but nobody knew why!
The history of Denmark is also the history of epidemics, such as the great cholera outbreak. Of the faith and superstition of the Middle Ages that held science back. Of the university's physicians and their first anatomical theatre. Not all science at the University of Copenhagen was, in reality, science at all. We take you into the darkness of the madhouses and into the poorest quarters of the city. We also explore the Saint Jørgen's farms and the monasteries of the Middle Ages. In other words, we've pulled together the very best for you.
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A classic walking tour that promises to be an immersive introduction to our enchanting city! Immerse yourself in captivating narratives as we explore must-see landmarks like The Royal Palace Amalienborg, Castle Island, and New Harbour.
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