Kay's Marvellous Medicine: A Gross and Gruesome History of the Human Body

'A ridiculously funny read that will delight, gross out and educate all at the same time' - The Independent

The brand-new, hilarious book from bestselling, record-breaking author Adam Kay.

The olden days were pretty fun if you liked wearing chainmail or chopping people's heads off but there was one TINY LITTLE problem back then . . . doctors didn't have the slightest clue about how our bodies worked.

It's time to find out why Ancient Egyptians thought the brain was just a useless load of old stuffing that might as well be chucked in the bin, why teachers forced their pupils to smoke cigarettes, why hairdressers would cut off their customers' legs, and why people used to get paid for farting. (Unfortunately that's no longer a thing - sorry.)

You'll get answers to questions like:
Why did patients gargle with wee?
How did a doctor save people's lives using a washing machine, a can of beans and some old sausages?
What was the great stink? (No, it's not what doctors call your bum.)

If you're sure you're ready, then pop a peg on your nose (there was a lot of stinky pus back then), pull on your wellies (there was a lot of poo there too), wash your hands (because they certainly didn't) and explore this gross and gruesome history of the human body!

Adam Kay is an award-winning writer and former non-award-winning junior doctor. His first book "This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor" was a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year and has sold over 2.5 million copies. It has been translated into 37 languages and is winner of four National Book Awards, including Book of the Year, and will be a major new comedy drama for BBC/AMC starring Ben Whishaw. His second book "Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas" was an instant Sunday Times number one bestseller and sold over 500,000 copies in its first few weeks. His compilation "Dear NHS" raised over £250k for charity. His record-breaking debut children's book "Kay's Anatomy" was published in October 2020.