Bottle of 'Livingstone Rousers', London, England, 1880-1990
‘Livingstone Rousers’ are named after the man who invented them – the famous explorer and missionary David Livingstone (1813-1873). Exploring Africa meant Europeans encountered illnesses that they were unused to, such as malaria. Livingstone prepared a treatment from quinine, jalap, rhubarb and calomel to combat fevers and malaria and to purge the body. A label on the bottle reads “From Stanley Expedition”. This may be a reference to Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), another famous explorer who had close links with Henry Wellcome. The tablets were made by Burroughs, Wellcome & Co until the 1920s.
Object number:
A630855 Pt4
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: bottle
Vessels having a neck and mouth considerably narrower than the body, used for packaging and containing liquid and dry preparations
Glossary: malaria
Parasitic disease transmitted by certain kinds of mosquito. Malaria is characterized by fever and enlargement of the spleen. Each year, there are approximately 515 million cases of malaria, killing between one and three million people.
Glossary: quinine
A substance taken to fight malaria. Quinine is found naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. It is also an ingredient in tonic water.