Drink Mead, Learn Things - Victorian Potions and Poisons

Step into the shadowy alleys and gaslit apothecaries of Victorian medicine, where every bottle promised a cure—and sometimes delivered a corpse. Poisons, Potions, and Snake Oil unveils the dark heart of 19th-century healthcare, from arsenic-laced cosmetics to laudanum for the teething child. Meet the quack doctors who peddled electrified belts, radium tonics, and bottled miracles to the desperate and dying. This chilling journey through the era’s most dubious cures and deadly treatments will leave you questioning whether the doctor’s bag held hope - or horror.

About our presenter:
Connor MacArthur is a historian, craftsman, and lecturer who breathes renewed life into the world of European history. With a storyteller’s touch and a craftsman’s skill, he unveils the brutal, ingenious, and often macabre realities of the past. From the clamor of arrows on the battlefield to the precise, hand-wrought edges of medieval surgical tools, his work bridges the gap between history and experience. Whether exploring the art of war, the grim intricacies of medieval or victorian-era medicine, his lectures offer a vivid and immersive journey into a time both distant and strikingly familiar.

Note:
- We are an adult establishment. Minors 12+ years welcome when accompanied by a 21+ year adult

- Public tickets are $5. Mug Club members may request reservations

Also check out other Arts events in Middleville.