How GSK rose from a lonely, inventive shepherd

Lonely shepherd Thomas Beecham perhaps noticed what herbs and plants kept his flocks healthy, and eventually became known in the mid-19th century for using them to cure animals. He then started making "decoctions" for humans. Beecham created a grinding machine from old knives to make dough of vegetable matter, formed it into strips, cut them into pills, and began selling them. He went on to start the Beecham Powders company, which eventually became SmithKline Beecham. Book review