An exhibition charting the pleasures and pitfalls of wine, beer and spirits through the ages has gone on display at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in Regent's Park, London. Through a variety of intriguing paintings, prints, rare books, objects and photographs – including loans from the Museum of London, the Wellcome Library and the Cartoon Museum – ‘This bewitching poison’: alcohol and the Royal College of Physicians traces the strange and occasionally deadly medicinal use and consumption of alcohol in history.

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The exhibition explores the history of alcohol consumption from the ‘gin craze’ in the 1700s to minimum unit pricing in 2014.

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‘This bewitching poison’ is on show at the Royal College of Physicians, Regents Park, London, until 27 June.

A lithograph showing an image from the history of drinking
Lithograph. Image courtesy of Marlborough Fine Art, London (© Paula Rego)
Gin lane by William Hogarth, showing the evils of gin consumption
'Gin Lane' by William Hogarth aims to show the evils of gin consumption.
A poster showing an image from the history of drinking
A poster showing an image from the history of drinking
(© Martin Rowson)
A cartoon showing an image from the history of drinking
Lithograph. Image courtesy of Marlborough Fine Art, London (© Paula Rego)
A lithograph displaying a man drinking alcohol from a tap
Lithograph. Image courtesy of Marlborough Fine Art, London (© Paula Rego)
A cartoon showing a man in a bar
(© Roger Penwill, Cartoon Museum collection)
A poster showing an image from the history of drinking
It reads 'He is discharged from his employment for drunkenness: they pawn their clothes to supply the bottle'. (© Wellcome Library, London)
A poster showing an image from the history of drinking
(© Wellcome Library, London)
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