The fact that Islington was home to some of the worst slums in England, widespread infectious disease and deaths of young children making up half of the total toll may be a shock to some. But this Victorian reality is revealed as part of the latest exhibition at Islington Museum.<br><br>‘From Leeches to the NHS’ charts the borough’s history and tells the story of how advances in medicine and public health improved people’s daily lives from 1850 to 1960.<br><br>As part of the free exhibition, visitors can explore a Victorian chemist and domestic sick room and crush and smell herbs that were once used as medicines.<br><br>Visitors can also see live leeches – a creepy crawly that has been used for centuries because of the anti blood-clotting properties of their saliva and their constant suction that can help keep blood flowing.<br><br>“The exhibitions held by our museum provide great learning opportunities that engage visitors on a whole range of topics as well as being fun and interesting,” Executive member for communities, Councillor Laura Willoughby, said.<br><br>“This exhibition will give some of our older residents a chance to reminisce and an opportunity for our younger residents to learn how things were done and how medicine and public health have progressed in just over 150 years.”<br><br>The exhibition has drawn on collections of many specialised museums around London alongside photos and archive material from the borough itself.<br><br>Two free talks will also be held at the museum on Wednesday 5 October at 5pm and Wednesday 12 October at 7pm respectively.<br><br>‘Why Immunise your Children?’ will be presented by Islington Primary Care Trust and will seek to put the current debate into a historical context.<br><br>‘The Surgeon, the Cadaver and the Resurrectionist’ discusses the issue of grave robbing for medical research.<br><br>The exhibition ‘Medicine and Public Health in Islington 1850 -1960 – from Leeches to the NHS’, will run at Islington Museum, Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1 2UD, from September 21 to December 24 2005.<br><br>Islington Museum is open Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 2pm to 4pm. <br><br>******Photo opportunity******<br><br>What: Gary Lewin, Arsenal and England physiotherapist will officially open the exhibition<br>Where: Islington Museum, Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1 <br>When: Wednesday 28 September from 6-8pm<br><br>*****Photo opportunity*****<br><br>Photos: WW1 Horse drawn ambulance, Holloway.<br>Sunlight treatment for rickets in 1930s at Pine Street Health Centre in Finsbury<br><br>Ends
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009