Lethal Dose

This story goes beyond the work of Oppenheimer, Groves, and all the other Nobel laureate scientists and uncovers the injuries inflicted upon Americans across the country and hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians in the 1940s. And it's only the beginning.

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Bernstein, J. (2007). Plutonium. Joseph Henry Press.

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Gerber, M. S. (2002). On the Home Front. University of Nebraska Press.

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Hay, A. (2023). 'Oppenheimer' and the story behind those who lost their land to the lab. Reuters. Retrieved 15 Oct 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/oppenheimer-story-behind-those-who-lost-their-land-lab-2023-07-28/

Hayes, D. F. (1956). A Summary of Accidents and Incidents

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Moss, W., & Eckhardt, R. (1995). The Human Plutonium Injection Experiments. Los Alamos Sci, 23, 177-223.

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Olson, S. (2020). The Apocalypse Factory. W. W. Norton & Company.

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Voelz, G. L. (2000). Plutonium and Health: How great is the risk? Los Alamos Sci, 26, 74-89.

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Williams, H. (2011). Made in Hanford. Washington State University Press.

Yardley, J. (2001, 27 Aug 2001). Land for Los Alamos Lab Taken Unfairly, Heirs Say. The New York Times, 10.

Digoxin is a heart medication that can be used to save the life of a patient in heart failure. In the hands of the wrong nurse, however, it can be a terrible weapon used to kill dozens of people.

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Chan, B. S. H., & Buckley, N. A. (2014). Digoxin-specific antibody fragments in the treatment of digoxin toxicity. Clin Tox, 52, 824-836.

Cummings, E. D., & Swoboda, H. D. (2023). Digoxin Toxicity. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470568

Edwards, S. A. (2012). Digitalis: The flower, the drug, the poison. AAAS.

Graeber, C. (2007). The Tainted Kidney. New York Magazine. Retrieved 13 Sep 2023, from https://nymag.com/article/charles-cullen-nurse-serial-killer.html

Graeber, C. (2013). The Good Nurse. Twelve.

Hack, J. B. (2015). Cardioactive Steroids. In L. S. Nelson, N. A. Lewin, M. A. Howland, R. S. Hoffman, & L. R. Goldfrank (Eds.), Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies (10th ed.). McGraw Hill Medical.

Hawkins, T. T. (2022). Capturing the Killer Nurse R. Ockleford; Netflix.

Kroft, S. (2013). Angel of Death: Killer nurse stopped, but not soon enough. CBS News. Retrieved 14 Sep 2023, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/angel-of-death-killer-nurse-stopped-but-not-soon-enough-29-04-2013/

Kruer, R. M., Jarrell, A. S., & Latif, A. (2014). Reducing medication errors in critical care: a multimodal approach.

Pérez-Peña, R., Kocieniewski, D., & George, J. (2004). Death on the Night Shift: 16 Years, Dozens of Bodies; Through Gaps in System, Nurse Left Trail of Grief. The New York Times. Retrieved 14 Sep 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/29/nyregion/death-night-shift-16-years-dozens-bodies-through-gaps-system-nurse-left-trail.html?scp=1&sq=death%20on%20the%20night%20shift&st=cse

Zimmerman, J. E., Kramer, A. A., & Knaus, W. A. (2013). Changes in hospital mortality for United States intensive care unit admissions from 1988 to 2012. Crit Care, 17.

In 2016, a beauty stylist accused a client of attempting to kill her with poisoned cheesecake, but that's just the tip of the iceberg in this story.

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Bill to ban "Zannie" passes. (2012). KSLA News 12. Retrieved 03

Brooklyn woman convicted of attempted murder in cheesecake poisoning of Queens look-alike. (2023, 09 Feb 2023). https://queensda.org/brooklyn-woman-convicted-of-attempted-murder-in-cheesecake-poisoning-of-queens-look-alike/

Corkery, J. M., Schifano, F., & Ghodse, A. H. (2012). Phenazepam abuse in the UK: an emerging problem causing adverse health problems, including death. Human Psychopharma. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2222

Devoe, M. (2023). The Case of the Poison Cheesecake CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-case-of-the-poison-cheesecake/

Kyle, P. B., Brown, K. B., Bailey, A. P., & Stevenson, J. L. (2012). Reactivity of commercial benzodiazepine

Maskell, P. D., De Paoli, G., Seetohul, L. N., & Pounder, D. J. (2012). Phenazepam: The drug that came in from the cold. J Forensic Legal Med, 19, 122-125. Oyemade, A. (2012). New uncontrolled benzodiazepine, phenazepam, emerging drug of abuse. Innov Clin Neurosci, 9(9), 10.

Russian gets 21 years for cheesecake-poisoning of US doppelganger. (2023). The Guardian. Retrieved 03 Sep 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/19/russian-cheesecake-poisoning-doppelganger-21-years-viktoria-nasyrova

Treisman, R. (2023). A woman gets 21 years for trying to kill her doppelganger with poisoned cheesecake. NPR. Retrieved 03 Sep 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2023/04/21/1171083112/russian-cheesecake-poisoning-doppelganger-nyc

A woman is poisoned with a piece of cheesecake. Her lookalike is convicted of attempted murder. (2023). CBS News. Retrieved

There are only two recorded cases of homicidal poisoning in the UK using aconitine. Venus and Kayla discuss both of them and think about how little has changed in over 100 years.

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Aconite Poisoning.  University of Chicago. Retrieved 08 Aug 2023 from https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/aconite/aconite.html

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Burks, R. (2021). The dead of aconite. Chemistry World. Retrieved 15 Aug 2023, from https://www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-dead-of-aconite/4014423.article

Case against curry poison accused 'fundamentally flawed'. (2010). Richmond & Twickenham Times. Retrieved 15 Aug 2023, from https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/4885595.case-curry-poison-accused-fundamentally-flawed/

Chan, T. Y. K. (2009). Aconite poisoning. Clin Tox, 47, 279-285.

Chung, J. Y., Lee, S. J., Lee, H. J., Bong, J. B., Lee, C.-H., Shin, B.-S., & H.G., K. (2021). Aconitine neurotoxicity according to administration methods. J Clin Med, 10(10).

Curry poison killer Lakhvir Singh jailed for life. (2010). BBC News Channel. Retrieved 15 Aug 2023, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8509798.stm

Curry poisoner Lakhvir Singh found guilty of murder (2010). The Guardian. Retrieved 15 Aug 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/feb/10/curry-poisoner-guilty-murder

Flanagan, R. J. (2012). Poisoning: Fact or fiction? Medico-Legal J, 80(4), 127-148.

Gao, X., Hu, J., Zhang, X., Zuo, Y., Wang, Y., & Zhu, S. (2020). Research progress of aconitine toxicity and forensic analysis of aconitine poisoning. Forensic Sci Res, 5(1), 25-31.

Guilty: Poison curry murderer laced ex-lover's meal with deadly herb. (2012). Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 Aug 2023, from https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/guilty-poison-curry-murderer-laced-exlover-s-meal-with-deadly-herb-6733889.html

Kingsbury, J. M. (1965). Deadly Harvest. Holt, Rhine, and

Stewart, A. (2009). Aconite. In Wicked Plants. Algonquin Books.

Trial of George Henry Lamson.  https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?div=t18820227-367

Trial of George Henry Lamson. (1913). William Hodge & Company.

Woman used "queen of poisons" to kill her lover. (2010). Reuters. Retrieved 15 Aug 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-curry/woman-used-queen-of-poisons-to-kill-her-lover-idUKTRE6193EE20100210

In the 1950s, the citizens of Minamata, Japan began experiencing strange symptoms from a disease that authorities struggled to identify and the government failed to properly protect them from.

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Find the works cited for this episode on Kayla's blog.

Venus and Kayla describe the return of a heavy hitter in this classic drama!

Content warning: mentions of rape and incest

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This microdose talks about the poisons in one of Kayla and Venus' favorite movies, and we also do some myth busting!

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For the first summer movie night of 2023, we watched The Wizard of Oz. This microdose covers the poisons used in the plot and on the set of the Hollywood classic.

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This season finale episode concludes the story of Charles Sobhraj and his accomplices Marie-Andree Leclerc and Ajay Chowdury, who helped him poison, rob, and murder an untold number of tourists in Southeast Asia in 1975 and 1976. Get out your globes for this one!

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Rate us for an entry into our summer giveaway for the chance to win a $50 Visa gift card!

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Anand, B. S., Torres, E., Operkun, A., & Graham, D. Y. (1994). Comparative assessment of phenolphthalein and phenopthalein glucuroinde: is phenophthalein glucuronide a better laxative? Ailment Pharmacol Ther, 8(5), 559-562.

Anthony, A. (2014). On the trail of the serpent... the fatal charm of Charles Sobhraj. GQ. Retrieved 19 Apr 2023, from https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/charles-sobhraj-serial-killer-interview

Gerald, M. C., & Schwirian, P. M. (1973). Nonmedical Use of Methaqualone. Archives Gen Psych, 28(5), 627-631.

Hollingsworth, J., & Renton, A. (2021). From diplomat to detective, this man helped bring Asia's notorious 'Serpent' killer to justice. CNN. Retrieved 11 May 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/13/asia/serpent-bikini-killer-sobhraj-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Indiana, G. (2014). It's a Secret: My Time with Charles Sobhraj, the Bikini Killer. Vice. Retrieved 11 May 2023, from https://www.vice.com/en/article/ppmxyz/its-a-secret-0000450-v21n9

Ionescu-Pioggia, M., Bird, M., Orzack, M. H., Benes, F., Beake, B., & Cole, J. O. (1988). Methaqualone. Int Clin Psychopharm, 3, 97-109.

Kranc, L. (2021). Netflix's The Serpent Follows the Multi-National Web of Charles Sobhraj's Murders. Esquire. Retrieved 07 May 2023, from https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a36015800/netflix-the-serpent-true-story-charles-sobhraj/

McMahan, Z. H., & DuPont, H. L. (2007). Review article: the history of acute infectious diarrhoea management - from poorly focused empiricism to fluid therapy and modern pharmacotherapy. Ailment Pharmacol Ther, 25, 759-769.

Murphy, J. (2009). Movement away from phenolphthalein in laxatives. JAMA, 301(17), 1770.

Neville, R., & Clarke, J. (1980). The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj. Pan Books.

Neville, R., & Clarke, J. (2020). On the Trail of the Serpent. Vintage.

Saperstein, P. (2021). 'The Serpent': Questions We Have After Watching the Netflix True Crime Series. Variety. Retrieved 11 May 2023, from https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/the-serpent-questions-netflix-true-crime-charles-sobhraj-1234943682/

Sharma, G. (2022). 'The Serpent' Charles Sobhraj to be freed from Nepal prison on Friday. Reuters. Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/the-serpent-charles-sobhraj-due-be-set-be-free-nepal-prison-2022-12-22/

Sodium thiopental. (2016). Retrieved 11 May 2023 from https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/s/sodium-thiopental.html

Thiopental Sodium. In NCATS (Ed.), Inxight Drugs. drugs.ncats.io: NIH.

Thompson, T. (1979). Serpentine. Doubleday.

Timeline: Case of Charles Sobhraj - 'Bikini Killer', 'Serpent'. (2022). Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/23/timeline-case-of-charles-sobhraj-bikini-killer-serpent

The serial killer Charles Sobhraj, later known as The Serpent or the Bikini Killer, started out with petty crimes and poisonings during a fractured adolescence divided between Vietnam and France and quickly escalated, leaving a trail of people who liked and trusted him reeling in his wake.

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Anthony, A. (2014). On the trail of the serpent... the fatal charm of Charles Sobhraj. GQ. Retrieved 19 Apr 2023, from https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/charles-sobhraj-serial-killer-interview

Anthony, A. (2020). Speaking with the Serpent: my encounters with serial killer Charles Sobhraj. The Guardian. Retrieved 22 Apr 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/dec/27/speaking-with-the-serpent-my-encounters-with-serial-killer-charles-sobhraj

Chlorpromazine overdose. (2021).  Mount Sinai. Retrieved 23 Apr 2023 from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/poison/chlorpromazine-overdose#:~:text=Most%20likely%2C%20an%20overdose%20will,can%20cause%20more%20serious%20symptoms.

Duiker, W. J., Turley, W. S., Buttinger, J., Hickey, G. C., Osborne, M. E., Jamieson, N. L., & Whitworth, R. (2023). Vietnam. Britannica. Retrieved 19 Apr 2023 from https://www.britannica.com/place/Vietnam/Effects-of-French-colonial-rule

Mann, S. K., & Marwaha, R. (2022). Chlorpromazine. Treasure Island. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553079/

Mogadon Product Monograph. (2013). https://www.aapharma.ca/downloads/en/PIL/2016/Mogadon-PM.pdf

Neville, R., & Clarke, J. (1980). The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj. Pan Books.

Neville, R., & Clarke, J. (2020). On the Trail of the Serpent. Vintage.