Unboxing a (gross) vomit-inducing cup | V&A

Video Description

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 re-boxing Discover more from our metalwork collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/metalwork See more objects being unboxed: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe2ihXndm5jsoqQkY4LF7KbecVi20RKwK