A gloriously 'horrible' history that traces the story of our love/hate relationship with our own bodies from ancient times right through to modern day.

The human body leaks. It oozes. It sweats and spits. It bursts, it bleeds and it squirts. Over the history of humanity, our bodies have evolved into sophisticated vessels for survival, leaving a long trail of fluids in our wake.

Whether we're coughing it up or swallowing it down, our bodily fluids are essential to our life and health. Yet, in the past couple of centuries, we have developed a difficult relationship with these fluids: today we find pus, poo and vomit unhygienic and even repellent. But this has not always been the case.

In Blood, Sweat and Tears, scholar and medical humanities expert Ruben Verwaal embarks on a deep dive into the story of our bodily fluids, the changing perceptions around them and the practical uses that have trickled down through the generations. Whether it's bile or breast milk, semen or snot, Verwaal examines how each one of our bodily fluids is dripping with symbolism, mythology and its own rich cultural history.