The gloves are on as Angus Patterson, Senior Metalwork Curator at the V&A, reveals a mysterious and highly toxic object from not one, but two unusual boxes.

Find out what's inside the boxes, who used it and why rogue doctors in the 17th century recommended it for purging the body of a huge variety of ailments. Just remember, don't try this at home!

00:00 First glance at mystery box
00:23 Gloves for protection
00:41 Unusual box examination
01:04 Another box!
01:30 Object revealed
02:12 What's antimony?
03:01 The purging effects of consuming antimony
03:48 How was it made?
04:46 Meet the ‘quack’ John Evans
05:24 Vomiting, diarrhoea and sweating
06:06 Avoiding an overdose
06:59 Who owned this cup?
07:38 A letter from 1775 giving instructions on how to use the cup
09:31 Perpetual pills
09:54 Carefully reboxing

Discover more from our metalwork collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/met...

See more objects being unboxed:    • Unboxing