British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Ulcer Wars

Synopsis
Until the mid-1970s the only answer to serious peptic ulcers was surgery. The popular belief then, and now, is that ulcers are due to stress, which causes the stomach to produce acid. Barry Marshall concluded after experiments on his own stomach that most people with ulcers harbour a previously unknown bacterium, ‘Heliobacter pylori’, and that it creates an infection which lasts a lifetime if not treated. He came up with a cheap and simple cure, but despite overwhelming evidence that he was right, few patients are being treated his way. The film looks at the difficulties of promoting a new discovery that threatens established beliefs and lacks commercial backing.
Series
Horizon, Series
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 48 min.
Year of production
1994
Availability
Sale; 2000 sale: £99.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Notes
Broadcast on BBC2 on 16/5/94.
Subjects
Medical sciences
Keywords
gastro-intestinal tract; ulcers

Credits

Producer
Michael Mosley
Writer
Michael Mosley
Contributor
Jana Bennett; John Lynch

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact
Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)
Email
BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com
Web
https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window
Phone
+44 (0) 20 8433 1009
Address
BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK
Notes
The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’

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