London Medical History Walking Tour

Before 1873, doctors prescribed alcohol as medicine. On this 120-minute London Medical History Walking Tour, follow the city’s medical past through streets once associated with epidemics and disease. A professional guide shares stories of how healthcare changed from a trade into a profession and introduces the people who helped shape British medicine. Along the way, see the remains of London’s first hospital for orphans, visit the longest-surviving medical society in England, and stop at the site of the first hospital created by Florence Nightingale. The tour also explores the stranger side of medical history, including anti-masturbation devices and past approaches to treatment. Meet your guide in front of the Foundling Museum and discover the people, places, and ideas behind London’s changing healthcare story. Book your London Medical History Walking Tour to see the city through a different lens.