As we approach the objectively best holiday of the year in Max's humble opinion, we thought it best to do some Halloween themed episodes for the month of October. 

In this episode we'll talk about the link between modern medications and their roots in what were suspected practices of witchcraft.  There seemed to be magic in the salves and potions used by suspected witches of the 12th-19th centuries.  We'll unpack what may have been causing the unusual effects of these treatments as well as some possible reasons for the stigma associated with women as healers during that time. 

We'll also figure out what happened when our sentient computer was released to reconcile with her boyfriend, the James Webb Space Telescope.  Things got a little carried away on the previous episode.

Lastly our show had a kind mention through an article on Her Campus about binge-worthy podcasts.  Highlights include reference to middle-aged dudes telling dad jokes and gory medical stories.  We wear that proudly.  Article linked here.

Episode sources:
Examples of "witchcraft" pharmaceuticals: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-witches-brews-helped-bring-modern-drugs-market-180953202/

Examples of "witchcraft" pharmaceuticals: https://qz.com/1442503/witches-are-responsible-for-some-modern-drugs/

Origins of witch broom iconography: https://www.history.com/news/why-witches-fly-on-brooms

Information on tropane alkaloids: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6412926/

William Withering, MD article from 18th century: https://library.um.edu.mo/ebooks/b2834599x.pdf

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