Brandreth’s Pills

Yesterday (4th October) BBC Radio 4 aired Brandreth’s Pills which told the story of Benjamin Brandreth, a pioneering patent remedy salesman of the nineteenth century.

Brandreth’s Vegetable Pills earned their creator a fortune, and the programme investigated Brandreth’s ground-breaking marketing techniques.

The programme also featured William Schupbach, Curator, Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Wellcome Library, discussing the testimonials included in Brandreth’s publication The Doctrine of Purgation.

Brandreth’s Pills will be available to listeners in the UK through the BBC iPlayer until Monday 11th October.