Here at idiopathic, we’re big fans of the strange and unexplained, particularly when it comes to paranormal. But sometimes, the most haunting accounts come from situations that hit much closer to home. They’re modern and contain details that seem like they could easily happen to any of us. Today’s story is one of those.
Gloria Ramirez checked into a California hospital in early 1994. The events that followed have landed her on many lists of unexplained deaths since. As they began their routine care, hospital staff started noticing some things that were anything but routine. Strange smells were just the start of the events that would send five hospital staff to the ER themselves and leave 23 ill after being near her.
So what was going on with the woman dubbed ‘The Toxic Lady’? Hopefully we can find out on today’s episode of Idiopathic..
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Today folks, we have a fun one for you. After talking about the differences and similarities between zombies, mummies, and vampires over several weeks, I thought heck– why not explore them deeper! Then, dear friends, I stumbled into a goldmine of insights into what these monsters are, what they reflect, how they eat, think, live– oh wait. .maybe not that last one.
Up first, we’re going to lighten the mood a bit with our Undead Workforce Recruitment team.. Because after that, we have to talk about risk, morality, and death. (Sorry.) We’ll have some fun along the way though, I promise. So join us as we explore the undead in all of their data driven diagram glory– on today’s episode of Idiopathic..

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On our last episode of Idiopathic, we visited 1980’s Haiti. As Angelina Narcisse, went about her daily routine, she found herself looking into a face she thought she might never see again in this life - her brother Clairvius, who had been buried in 1962.
Now, that alone could be brushed off by easy explanations, but the villagers around them recognized Clairvius too. And the conclusion for them was clear: Clairvius was a zombie, brought back from the dead by a bokor.
Join us as we continue our exploration of Haitian zombie making, science, and superstition, on today’s episode of Idiopathic..

Co-Host Info: Dr. Sarah Kashdan is a registered naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Kashdan practices a whole-body multisystem approach to healthcare using several modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Dr. Kashdan also has degrees in environmental health and toxicology and is a certified mold-literate provider. Dr. Kashdan can be found at Rocky Mountain Natural Medicine. Her instagram is @coloradonaturedoc
Clinic website: ⁠⁠https://www.fortcollins-naturalmedicine.com⁠⁠
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When you think about a zombie, what do you imagine? The brainless undead walking amongst us? A reanimated corpse with rotting flesh shuffling toward you? Some sort of lifeless being coming for brains– or worse– to make you a zombie too?
Today’s adventure begins in L’Estere Haiti in 1980, where we’ll get to explore the adventures of Clairvius Narcisse and his run-ins with a Haitian Sorcerer.
Join us as we explore the strange, and sometimes frightening, world of Haitian zombification. We’ll crack into Clairvius’ narrative as we try to find the lines between science and superstition, on today’s episode of Idiopathic..

Co-Host Info: Dr. Sarah Kashdan is a registered naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Kashdan practices a whole-body multisystem approach to healthcare using several modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Dr. Kashdan also has degrees in environmental health and toxicology and is a certified mold-literate provider. Dr. Kashdan can be found at Rocky Mountain Natural Medicine. Her instagram is @coloradonaturedoc
Clinic website: ⁠⁠https://www.fortcollins-naturalmedicine.com⁠⁠

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For centuries, the human body wasn't just a patient in medicine, it was also a bizarre ingredient in the medicine itself.
Imagine a doctor looking at your ailments and reaching not for antibiotics, but for a vial of… mummy powder? Yep, you heard that right. For centuries, ground-up mummies were all the rage in medicine, believed to be a magic bullet against everything from the common cold to the deadly plague. And that's just the tip of the sarcophagus!
The royal medicine cabinet of King Charles II, held his "elixir of choice" that involved a rather unsettling ingredient – human skull! But it wasn't just eccentric monarchs indulging in the strange, oh no.
Throughout Victorian England, those prim and proper lovers of Egypt (and yes, this would include the timelines of Omm Sety and Lord Carnarvon), weren't immune to the allure of the unconventional cure either. Blood and bone-based tinctures were all the rage, believed to be the pinnacle of medical science. Of course, from our vantage point, these treatments seem more like the stuff of nightmares than effective medicine.
But here's the thing – these historical practices offer a glimpse into the evolution of medicine and the lengths people would go to in their quest for health. So, grab your stethoscope and prepare to do rounds through a truly strange chapter in the history of medicine, on today’s episode of Idiopathic!

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Last episode, we started our exploration of Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman of immense wealth and power. She was also accused of unspeakable acts of torture and murder for reportedly over 600 women. Her alleged crime spree would etch her name in infamy as the "Blood Countess."

Tales of blood baths intended to preserve her beauty have permeated popular culture in her name, but we want to know if there’s more to the story than appears. Today on idiopathic, my guest co-host Taryn joins us as we pick up our story and theories to see if we can get to the bottom of this case.

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Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman of immense wealth and power, stands accused of unspeakable acts. Descendant of royalty and aunt to a king, Bathory's life took a dramatic turn in 1610. She was charged with the torture and murder of hundreds of young women, a crime spree that would etch her name in infamy as the "Blood Countess."
Legends surrounding Bathory are as gruesome as they are alluring. Tales of blood baths intended to preserve her beauty and a thirst for vampiric youth enhancement have permeated popular culture in her name. But is there truth behind the sensationalism? Or is this another case where the reality is much, much worse than fiction?
Perhaps we’ll find out for ourselves on today’s episode of Idiopathic?

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In our recent exploration on the Curse of King Tut’s tomb, Sarah brought up something called Terrain Theory. Being who I am, I wanted to learn more– what it was, its pros and cons, and of course its history and well, let’s just say was I in for a science drama rabbit hole. So, Sarah and I chatted a bit and decided that we thought this would be a great special topic to cover in its own episode.
So folks, here you go– the a brief history and concept exploration on the theories, ongoing debate, and our own thoughts on Germ and Terrain theories– We hope you enjoy!

Co-Host Info: Dr. Sarah Kashdan is a registered naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Kashdan practices a whole-body multisystem approach to healthcare using several modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Dr. Kashdan also has degrees in environmental health and toxicology and is a certified mold-literate provider. Dr. Kashdan can be found at Rocky Mountain Natural Medicine. Her instagram is @coloradonaturedoc
Clinic website: ⁠⁠https://www.fortcollins-naturalmedicine.com⁠⁠
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Last time on Idiopathic, we ventured to Exeter, Rhode Island, when fear (yet again) overtook a small New England town. This time, it was the 1800’s and People were dying. Their loved ones believed the deceased weren't just gone, but coming back from the beyond to prey on the living.
One case in particular stood out: Mercy Lena Brown. Why? They dug her up, not to destroy her, but to save her brother from a similar fate. But Here's the twist: Mercy's body seemed to have barely decayed months after her death. Was this proof of the undead walking among us, or something else entirely?
In Part 2 we continue our adventure. We'll revisit the medical explanations we discussed before, but this time, we'll put on our science detective hats and see if these theories hold up under closer examination, on today’s episode of Idiopathic..

Co-Host Info: Dr. Sarah Kashdan is a registered naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Kashdan practices a whole-body multisystem approach to healthcare using several modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Dr. Kashdan also has degrees in environmental health and toxicology and is a certified mold-literate provider. Dr. Kashdan can be found at Rocky Mountain Natural Medicine. Her instagram is @coloradonaturedoc
Clinic website: ⁠⁠https://www.fortcollins-naturalmedicine.com⁠⁠

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In our very first set of episodes, we discussed the Salem Witch Trials and the subsequent hanging of Bridget Bisop, you heard how the people of Salem turned against one another in a vicious (and perhaps biologically induced) string of accusations, trials, and eventual murder.
Two hundred years later, not far from Salem, in Exeter Rhode Island, something similar erupted. This small farm-based community began to fear that their loved ones were not just in league with the devil, but returning from the grave to feed on those who remained. Their skin was pale and ice cold, they never went out in sunlight, and they never ate or drank anything.. Just like Edward Cullen. They were Vampires.
And just like Salem, people died in Exeter too, but it’s not so much the events of their deaths as the events that took place once they had been interred that draw our attention today.
Mercy Lena Brown, suspected vampire, was exhumed from her grave in 1892. Not to put a stake through her heart, but so that it could be used in a ritual that might save her brother from a similar fate. When they opened her coffin, the proof was in the blood pudding, her body hadn’t decayed. Even though she’d been dead for months already.
So is this just a case of history not learned from being doomed to repeat itself or something more? Perhaps we’ll find out on today’s episode of Idiopathic..

Co-Host Info: Dr. Sarah Kashdan is a registered naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Kashdan practices a whole-body multisystem approach to healthcare using several modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Dr. Kashdan also has degrees in environmental health and toxicology and is a certified mold-literate provider. Dr. Kashdan can be found at Rocky Mountain Natural Medicine. Her instagram is @coloradonaturedoc
Clinic website: ⁠⁠https://www.fortcollins-naturalmedicine.com⁠⁠
Refs and Resources