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Toxic History!
Toxic History! episodes
- Botulinum Antitoxin
Our long history of attempting to find a treatment for botulism is a winding road of discovery, setbacks, and the constant challenge of balancing risk and benefit. Through major outbreaks that seized the nation’s attention and the disruption of major wars, however, the spirit of science and humanity prevailed, bringing us a therapy to help us in our ongoing fight.
18 min - Beyond Bicycle Day: The Story of Albert Hofmann and the Discovery of LSD
This talk will describe the early career of Albert Hofmann, his accidental discovery of the hallucinogenic properties of LSD-25, his legendary bicycle ride home from work during an LSD trip, and the legacy of his discovery.
19 min - Did psychedelics fuel the space race? Counter culture, the occult, and mind-altering before LSD
The discovery of LSD and the subsequent psychedelic renaissance of the mid-20th century hold ample space in history books, but Albert Hofmann didn’t discover the first mind-altering chemical. At the turn of the 20th century, natural psychedelics’ ancient power crossed continents to shape both cultural and technological development.
15 min - The Elixir of Death
Want to know what toxic medicine has killed thousands of people? Why outbreaks keep happening? And how it started the modern FDA? Listen Dr. Prosser's Toxic History episode to find out!
19 min - Radithor Radioactive WaterIn the 1920s and 1930s, radium was an exciting new material. It was used to illuminate watch dials in the dark, treat tumors, and also as a primary ingredient in quack medical remedies. This is the story of Radithor, a fake medicine containing radium.48 min
- The Salem Witch Trials and the Ergot HypothesisThe Salem witch trials of the early 1690s were the most notorious and lethal witch hunt in American history. At the heart of the trials, the Village of Salem was a town at its boiling point, but the complex political and social factors at play still seem insufficient to explain the happenings that ultimately transpired. Could it be that the affliction at the heart of Salem, the proximate cause of all the death and despair, was caused by a fungus?20 min
- Bringing Deadly Sleepe: A Review of Selected Pre-1900s Toxicology LiteratureToxicology is full of treatments which are poorly supported by literature. Many of those treatments originated over 100 years ago. If you think data are bad now, we invite you to see what treatments were like in the past – drawn from the pages of multiple historical toxicology textbooks.24 min
- Dioxin and the Poisoning of Viktor YushchenkoDioxins are a category of persistent organic pollutant (POP), with a long history of human exposure and serious adverse health and environmental effects. Where did this forever chemical come from, and how did it end up in the dinner of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in 2004? Join us as we discuss the long-lasting legacy of this class of compounds that was banned in 2001, but remains forever in our hearts (and lipid tissues, and ecosystem).19 min
- Twisted Sister, a Widow's IntrigueSpringtime at the turn of the 20th century promised rebirth, hope, and prosperity in America. But in northern Michigan, a twisted nightmare was consuming an idyllic community. An infant was found deceased in a crib, the mother succumbing within the next hour, and the father only days later. Some feared a curse, others speculated a contagion. An intrepid duo of sheriff and attorney left no stone unturned, with suspicions centering around a widow in a black dress.17 min
- The Birds and The Brains: Domoic Acid PoisoningJoin Dr. Marlis Gnirke on a “trip” to 1960s California discussing a different kind of acid, one at the intersection of human toxicology, veterinary toxicology, and classic cinema.18 min
About Toxic History!
From the publisher's feed
Toxic History! is a narrative medicine lecture series where medical experts tell you stories from the history of poison. Human beings have known about poison – substances that harm and even kill– for…
thousands of years. Poisons have been seen as mysterious, supernatural, and enigmatic. What are these plants, mixtures, and elements with such powerful properties? It is only in the past century that science has begun to demystify these chemicals and explain how they work. Still, the impact they have on the world – from cultish mass suicides to chemical attacks to a single case of homicide – can be profound. Toxic History! explores the impact on society, culture, and science behind poisonous events in history.