Elf Shot (04:30)

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Disease used to be blamed on the supernatural. Spirits, demons, and elves were thought to cause illness. Arrowheads from the Stone Age reinforced this idea.

Mind Over Matter (01:40)

A knife spell was thought to remove disease caused by the elf's weapon from the body. Belief was a strong ingredient in medicine.

Surgical Exorcism (02:15)

Cerebral problems like epilepsy were blamed on evil spirits that had taken residence in the head. A skull from Roman times shows evidence of the removal procedure.

Early Surgical Equipment (03:35)

A demonstration with a pig shows the tools and procedure used to remove evil spirits from the body in Neolithic times.

Plague in London (02:03)

In the 16th and 17th century people lived in fear of demons causing health problems.

Miasma (05:51)

A demonstration shows how foul smells were thought to spread the plague in 17th century London. A traditional costume carrying sweet smells was thought to protect from illness.

Curing the Wrath of God (04:03)

Disease was seen as a punishment for sin. Church would have been the first stop for someone with an STD. Repentance was required.

Transference (02:26)

In medieval times, people did not understand how disease spread.

Magic Medicine (03:18)

Medieval medicine is practiced on modern day people on the streets of London. Attempting to pass illness along to others was common practice.

Life Force Transference (02:03)

Celts believed it was possible to magically transfer the health of healthy people to the sick or wounded.

Blood Transference (05:37)

A demonstration shows how blood and guts were intended to transfer health and vitality from animals to weak humans.

Power of Belief (02:54)

A modern doctor shows how the placebo effect may have worked in early medicine.

Surgical Skull Removal (04:27)

The first surgery performed to release evil spirits from the skull paved the way for a surgery used to treat cerebral conditions today.

On the Next Episode... (00:26)

Watch a preview of the upcoming episode about witches.

Credits: Disease: Tony Robinson's Gods and Monsters (00:42)

Credits: Disease: Tony Robinson's Gods and Monsters