The power of pollen: seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis

There are reports from the 16th century of Rose Cold (symptoms of itching, sneeze and nasal irritation), and even earlier in the 9th century AD on 'The reason why the heads of people swell at the time of roses and produce catarrh'.¹ However, it was at the beginning of the 19th century that John Bostock, a London-based physician, initially described his own symptoms² and, a few years later, those of a group of people with a similar condition.³ John Bostock tried a number of treatments, which were ineffective, including taking opium, self-induced vomiting, cold baths and bleeding, but felt that a move to the seafront at Ramsgate helped significantly.