An overview of the life and work of Silas Mainville Burroughs (1847-1895), pharmacist and co-founder of the Burroughs Wellcome pharmaceutical company. Based on the Burroughs family papers formerly in the possession of Richard and Joan Stillwell, of Finchampstead, Berks., now held in the Contemporary Medical Archives Centre of the Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine, London. Much of the image content of the programme is taken directly from letters, journals, photographs, memorabilia and artefacts in the Burroughs archive.