Stepping back in time to Victorian science

Rebecca Hill, contributor

(Image: Courtesy of The Enlightenment Cafe)

?We have three melancholics here,? says a Victorian gentleman to his alchemist colleague as I sit, freshly diagnosed, in a ?gin distillery? buried within the Old Vic Tunnels beneath London?s Waterloo.

This is just one of the rooms in The Enlightenment Caf?, an event inspired by the coffee-house culture in which scientists congregated to read, debate and relax, a movement which began in the 17th Century. ?It?s all about scientists talking about what they love in a natural and exciting way, in an environment that?s a little unique,? says creative producer Andy Franzkowiak.

It certainly is unique. In the distillery I?m handed a ?special herbal concoction? to reduce my levels of black bile, the apparent cause of melancholia. While I?m not convinced the Victorian cures all involved gin, this is a brilliant introduction to the widely held belief that diseases were caused by imbalances in the body?s four humours: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood.

Feeling much better, I wander through the rabbit warren of tunnels, passing a makeshift theatre and a series of dimly lit rooms, each with its own scientist in residence, revealing the answers to questions you never knew you had.

In one, I?m treated to details of some incredibly gruesome poisons and learn never to drink cider from a pewter tankard (the combination produces toxic lead acetate). In another I discover I?m not too bad at the Victorian pastime of mathematical puzzles.

But these drop-in sessions are just one part of the Caf?. Soon I?m ushered into psychiatrist Tim McInerny?s office. Here, myself and five other "medical students" are guided through the examination of a patient from the Bethlem Hospital (played convincingly by one of the Caf??s actors). Between them they give a stark insight into the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in the 1800s.

(Image: Courtesy of The Enlightenment Cafe)

The beauty of the event is the atmosphere - you truly believe you?ve stepped into another time; a world full of things you?re unlikely to see again. There is a real buzz throughout the tunnels, with excited conversations drifting through the air and performers encouraging you to get involved in all manner of activities - from speed debating to an Institute of Victorian Dating Etiquette.

To fire-scientist Claire Benson the appeal was the era. ?The Victorian age is an incredibly important time for science and engineering,? she says. From her demonstration in a makeshift theatre-cum-lab, I?d have to agree: it boasts the creation of Robert Bunsen?s famous burner and the invention of dynamite to name but a few.

Before I leave, I catch a shadow puppet show about the moon and a panel discussion where audience members are invited onstage to mime the debate topics (I?m particularly impressed someone guessed tempest prognosticator).

?The whole thing is really one giant experiment,? says Franzkowiak. If you ask me, it?s a resounding success. This is an unmissable night of entertainment, intrigue, and debate - with a touch of education snuck in when you aren?t looking.

The Enlightenment Caf? is in the Old Vic Tunnels from 1st - 3rd June.

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