Alice Roberts Investigates St Bart's Hospital's Centuries of Medical History
Professor Alice Roberts, the indefatigable television presenter with distinctive pink hair, continues her prolific broadcasting career with a new Channel 5 documentary titled Our Hospital Through Time. This latest project sees the academic, who holds degrees in anatomy, medicine, and surgery, delving into the rich historical tapestry of St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, an institution founded in the 12th century.
A Journey from Medieval Medicine to Modern Healthcare
The programme juxtaposes the hospital's archaic past with its contemporary medical advancements. Roberts participates in a vivid reconstruction of a brutal 1638 operation performed during the reign of King Charles I. The patient, a servant named Ellin French accused of theft, suffered gangrene in both legs and all her fingers after a dramatic curse seemingly came true. The chief surgeon of the era demonstrated how limbs were amputated without anaesthetic using a curved knife and short saw, relying on speed to prevent fatal bleeding.
Viewers familiar with forensic dramas might note the reconstruction involved an actor with makeup rather than a realistic prosthetic, but the historical account remains chilling. Ellin French survived the ordeal, albeit only for a few months afterward.
Structural Challenges in Blending Eras
While the documentary attempts to mirror the narrative style of BBC2's A House Through Time by focusing on individual stories like French's, it struggles with coherence. The production frequently shifts to modern segments, highlighting St Bart's current work with cardiac and cancer patients alongside renovations of its historic buildings. However, these contemporary insights feel rushed, often reduced to brief corridor conversations without deeper exploration of the medical professionals involved.
This rapid oscillation between time periods creates a disjointed experience, leaving the documentary caught between a historical time-travel piece and a medical documentary without fully committing to either genre. The episode's ambitious scope ultimately lacks a clear thematic structure.
Revealing Medieval Hospital Conditions
Historian Ruth Goodman contributes fascinating details about medieval life at St Bart's. Patients during the Middle Ages slept on floors covered with rushes, while herbs like poisonous wormwood were scattered to combat fleas and lice. It was not until the Tudor era, with the introduction of fireplaces and chimneys creating ankle-level drafts, that the hospital began providing beds—a practical innovation that explains why humans transitioned from floor sleeping.
Roberts' versatile presenting portfolio, which includes travelogues like Roman Empire By Train on Channel 4, supernatural explorations such as Lost Grail and Witches Of Essex for Sky History, and archaeological series like BBC2's Digging For Britain, underscores her status as one of television's most prolific figures. Our Hospital Through Time adds another dimension to her repertoire, though its execution highlights the challenges of condensing centuries of medical history into a single, cohesive episode.
