Lunchtime Talk: 'Oxford in the History of Medicine'

Schedule

Wed Oct 08 2025 at 01:00 pm to 02:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

Museum of Oxford | Oxford, EN

Advertisement
Discover the remarkable contributions Oxford scientists, medics, and their patients have made to medical science through the ages.
About this Event

‘Oxford in the History of Medicine: Bright ideas, discoveries and innovations through the ages’

Oxford’s scientists, medics and their patients have made some remarkable contributions to medical science down the ages, particularly in the 17th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

They have refined scientific method, investigated the anatomical workings of the body and the brain, agonised over ethics, revolutionised diagnosis, theorised about both physical and mental health, deliberated about how to deal with patients, tested treatments and come up with cures and ways of preventing sickness in the first place.

This talk starts with a treacle well and a dragon and ends with some of the cutting-edge research undertaken today.


Complimentary tea and coffee will be available to enjoy during the talk. We recommend arriving before the start of the talk if you would like to grab a refreshment.

Tickets cost £6 and are available online via Eventbrite (booking fee applies) or at the Museum shop.

Sales from tickets help support our work to deliver fun and accessible family activities, community engagement projects, schools workshops, exhibitions and special events for Oxford’s people in our Museum spaces.


Victoria Bentata is an Oxford Green Badge Guide and member of the Oxford Guild of Tour Guides. She has an Oxford University degree in Modern Languages and an Oxford Brookes University MA in History. Her dissertation focused on the Inter Services Topographical Department at Manchester College Oxford during WWII. She is the author of Oxford City Walks, a book of 15 walks with guiding commentary, and regularly leads specialist tours of Oxford including Oxford in the History of Medicine. See her website for more details.


Access:

There is step-free, level entry access to the Town Hall via the entrance closest to Carfax Tower (to the left of the main steps as you face the Town Hall). Inside the Museum, Museum Makers is accessible via a platform lift to the Galleries and then a lift to the basement.

Accessible toilets are available in the Museum (close to Museum Makers) and in the Town Hall on the ground floor, before entering the Museum. Please if you’d like to talk to a member of staff about your access requirements. Further access information can be found on our page dedicated to .


Photo consent:

Please be aware that photographs will be taken at this event for use in marketing. If you (or a member of your group) would prefer not to be photographed, please let a member of staff know during the event.


Header image: Circle of Willis, Wellcome Library, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Museum of Oxford, St Aldate's, Oxford, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

GBP 7.21

Museum of Oxford

Host or Publisher Museum of Oxford

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Oxford

The Head And The Heart, Hurray For The Riff Raff in Oxford
Tue, 07 Oct at 08:00 pm The Head And The Heart, Hurray For The Riff Raff in Oxford

The Lyric Oxford

CONCERTS MUSIC
Freshers Fair
Wed, 08 Oct at 09:00 am Freshers Fair

Examination Schools

Felix Ross
Wed, 08 Oct at 07:00 pm Felix Ross

The Bullingdon

Ben Sollee in Oxford
Wed, 08 Oct at 09:00 pm Ben Sollee in Oxford

Proud Larrys

ART
Fishies Week 3
Wed, 08 Oct at 10:00 pm Fishies Week 3

O2 Academy Oxford

Breabach at The North Wall
Thu, 09 Oct at 06:30 pm Breabach at The North Wall

The North Wall Arts Centre

Unbelievable Truth - The Bullingdon, Oxford
Thu, 09 Oct at 07:00 pm Unbelievable Truth - The Bullingdon, Oxford

The Bullingdon

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Thu, 09 Oct at 07:00 pm Shenandoah in Oxford

Oxford Performing Arts Center

ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCES
Wonders of Oxford: Outdoor Escape Game
Thu, 02 Feb at 12:00 pm Wonders of Oxford: Outdoor Escape Game

The Eagle and Child

TRIPS-ADVENTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Inside the Oxford Town Hall
Sat, 21 Sep at 11:00 am Inside the Oxford Town Hall

Oxford Town Hall

Kripalu Yoga \u2022 Oxford
Sat, 15 Mar at 03:00 pm Kripalu Yoga • Oxford

Soul Dimension

HEALTH-WELLNESS WORKSHOPS
Museum of Oxford Walks: Oxford's Queer History
Sat, 19 Apr at 02:00 pm Museum of Oxford Walks: Oxford's Queer History

Museum of Oxford

Museum of Oxford Walks: Pre-Raphaelite Adventures in Oxford
Wed, 18 Jun at 02:00 pm Museum of Oxford Walks: Pre-Raphaelite Adventures in Oxford

Museum of Oxford

ART LITERARY-ART
Museum of Oxford Walks: The Lost Streets of St Ebbes
Wed, 16 Jul at 02:00 pm Museum of Oxford Walks: The Lost Streets of St Ebbes

Museum of Oxford

WORKSHOPS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Family Day (23 August)
Sat, 23 Aug at 10:00 am Family Day (23 August)

Quarry Road,Headington,Oxford,OX3 8SB,GB

KIDS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
HISA Youth Fellowship 2025 - University of Oxford
Sat, 23 Aug at 11:00 am HISA Youth Fellowship 2025 - University of Oxford

University of Oxford

BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL - pub games with North Oxford Speakers Club
Mon, 25 Aug at 07:15 pm BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL - pub games with North Oxford Speakers Club

Dew Drop Inn

BANK-HOLIDAY HOLIDAY
WCC Holiday Club 2025! \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udd75\ufe0f\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83e\udd2b
Tue, 26 Aug at 09:30 am WCC Holiday Club 2025! 🚨🕵️‍♀️🤫

Wheatley Primary School

HOLIDAY
Rebel Book Club Oxford x CHINA
Tue, 26 Aug at 07:00 pm Rebel Book Club Oxford x CHINA

King's Arms

ART DOG
Pie in the Sky
Thu, 28 Aug at 11:00 am Pie in the Sky

Museum of Oxford

WORKSHOPS ART

What's Happening Next in Oxford?

Discover Oxford Events