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Sores, sweat and secretions: the pox in early modern London

Olivia Weisser reveals the pox-ridden world of early modern London, from sickening symptoms to tortuous treatments

• Charlotte Vosper

Published: March 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM

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With sinful associations and incredibly painful symptoms, the pox could be a damning diagnosis in the early modern period. In this episode, Olivia Weisser speaks to Charlotte Vosper about the pox-ridden world of London in the era. She takes us behind the doors of medical practitioners, on to the streets in search of cures, and into the city's courtrooms.

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If you'd like to find out more about historical diseases and their (rather tortuous) treatments, then check out this HistoryExtra article by Dr Elma Brenner about the reality of medieval medical treatments for the Black Death. Go beyond the podcast.

Authors

Charlotte VosperContent producer

Charlotte Vosper is a content producer at HistoryExtra

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