Royal Poxes and Potions

Royal Poxes and Potions is a fascinating look at the relationship between monarchs and their doctors and reveals the complex and influential position that they held. Acclaimed biographer Raymond Lamont Brown casts light on a previously overlooked aspect of the monarchy and the secrets it conceals. From the instigation of the royal doctor in medieval times and up to the present day, the tales of secrets, murder, medical incompetence and revolutionary operations make compelling reading. Included here is Sir William Gull, court physician to Queen Victoria, who was a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, and Sir Frederick Treves, who was not only court physician to the four succeeding monarchs, but was also the man who helped to rescue the Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, from a fairground freak show.