Interesting and instructive. Includes personal stories and background that adds human interest. Travels to the locations where historical finds occurred. England, Germany, America, to the very houses or laboratories where discoveries were made. Makes story come alive.

Shows the operating theatre where ether first used. Developed by two dentists, who failed in the first attempt (one committed suicide). Interesting.

Video divided into three parts,

1) Pain - that is the development of pain treatment, starting with laudanum in the nineteenth century. Later refined into morphine. Explains that aspirin and heroin came from the same research.

1. Opiate Origins
2. Surgical Anesthesia
3. From Coal Tar
4. Specific Compounds
5. Pain Relief

2) Pus - penicillin mentioned by Fleming, but only really developed by British as treatment for soldiers during WW2. Thereafter, huge effort to find additional antibiotics. British companies decline to manufacture it. Scientists travel to Brooklyn and penicillin is mass produced just in time for invasion.

1. Microscopic Killers
2. Treating Disease
3. Fighting Infection
4. Greater Challange
5. Eradication

3) Poison - arsenic used as treatment for syfillis. Bella Donna used by women to dialate pupils to attract men. A poison that also attracted coroners. Covers the unique cures and uses of curare, venom, scorpions, etc.. Mustard gas invented for WW1. Later the first chemical used in cancer treatment. Start of chemotherapy.

1. The Eccentric
2. Creating Chemists
3. Another Battle
4. New Drugs
5. Ingenious Killers

Also presents the difference of bacteria and virus. Shows how the recent understanding of human genome will enable individualized medicine.

These three episodes last 159 minutes.
Also includes extra 27 minutes on ''Seven Wonders of the Microbe World''.
1. The Black Death
2. Food Preservation
3. Nitrogen Fixation
4. Antibiotics
5. Genetic Engineering
6. Life on Mars
7. Beer
These were short, interesting and educational. Great!

This is not chemistry class, but closer to history of medicine.

Enjoyable and educational. Plan to watch with my grandson.

A very well constructed educational piece, or 3 pieces. There is enough humor to keep us entertained through all 3 chapters. I work in the industry, pharmaceuticals, this would make a nice addition to any training programs. I learned some nice historical accounts which could be used in my own department's training documentation. Thanks for deeper insight into the many "stumbles" which made medicine what it is today.

This is an awesome look at the history of medical science and its almost comical origin. Very informative but with a funny take on medicine, early surgery, anesthesia (where it medical science seems to have originated), and lots of interesting medical procedures which are, thankfully, no longer performed.

Intelligent and informative overview of the history of modern medicine. I especially enjoyed the narrative of the development of early twentieth century drugs which now have become a scourge on modern society, including heroin and the development of opiate drugs.

100% must see! Learned so much history and gives you a great outlook on what we have in store for our future with medicine and research. Great series! Wish I could find more great stuff to watch like this

This is a truly interesting CD set. It is very honest - to a fault, some say, as it is graphic. I have learned a lot from it and shared it with family members. Informative, it is.

i originally had seen part of the series on you tube, but wanted a copy for myself. its great. interesting and wonderful quality video.

But such a fun, interesting, entertaining, and informative short series. Go for it!