History

The Poor Historians: Medical History Misadventures

by Dr. Max, Dr. Aaron, Dr. Mike, and Alba

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The Finale - John Hunter, the Founder of Scientific Surgery

November 6, 2024 · 1 hr 29 min

This is the final episode for the Poor Historians Podcast. It's been a wonderful ride and we're happy to end on what we think is a high note, talking about the topic that interested Dr. Max in starting a show about medical history in the…
The Chicago Tylenol Murders and Halloween Sadism

October 24, 2024 · 55 min

If you've ever wondered why your over-the-counter pill bottles have that annoying little foil under the cap, you'll be happy to know it's there for good reason. It all stems from this true-crime meets toxicology story. We'll lay it all out…
Comstock Laws and Women's Health in the Gilded Age with Special Guest, Alicia Gutierrez-Romine, PhD

October 10, 2024 · 1 hr 6 min

We welcome our special guest historian to discuss an overview of issues affecting medical history and it's approaches to women's health during the late 19th century into the early 20th. We'll talk about Anthony Comstock and his silly…
The Origins of Placebos and their Effects

September 26, 2024 · 1 hr 12 min

This is a fascinating and complicated dive into the history behind the first placebos and observations of their effects. We'll do our best not to lose our own minds trying to sort out the complexities of the placebo effect as we understood…
The Krebiozen Hoax-An Infamous Quack Cancer Treatment

September 12, 2024 · 1 hr 12 min

This episode was brought to you by our main source, the excellent book on the topic by Matthew C. Ehrlich entitled, The Krebiozan Hoax: How a mysterious Cancer Drug Shook Organized Medicine. Check it out via that link and show the author…

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The Multiple Murder Attempts of "Durable" Mike Malloy: A Medical History Perspective

August 29, 2024 · 1 hr 4 min

This episode is a blend of true crime and criminal ineptitude. We'll walk through the story of how a gaggle of NYC barflys in the early 20th century U.S. Prohibition Era conspired (very badly) to murder an Irish immigrant who would later…
A History of Breast Surgery: Wax, Oil, and Silicone

August 15, 2024 · 1 hr 15 min

This is one of those episodes where we're happy to have Alba's perspective. We'll explore the history of breast surgery, it's various early procedures, and a host of things done to change women's chests for a variety of…
The First U.S. Opiate Crisis: The Civil War and the Opium Eaters

August 1, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min

History does have a way of repeating itself--at least in broad strokes. In this episode we'll discuss the first opiate crisis the U.S. ever suffered and do a bit of comparison to modern times. From opium, to morphine, to heroin, these…
Alcohol in Civilization, Culture, and Medical History

July 18, 2024 · 1 hr 9 min

It's probably popular knowledge that alcohol as a substance of use--and potential misuse--has been with humankind since our earliest days. In this episode, Dr. Mike explores the earliest references to alcohol and takes us through a tour of…
Royal Pains: Medical Movie Show Review

July 11, 2024 · 1 hr 19 min

Thanks to a fan suggestion, we went ahead and gave this TV series about an ER doctor turned concierge physician for the rich and famous a try. It had its moments. Support the show ----- PHPod Merch Store (CLOSED) ----- Podcast Linktree…
The Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks

July 4, 2024 · 57 min

We've had many requests for this topic over the years and Dr. Aaron finally took charge of it. We'll explore the crossroads of medical history and medical ethics as it applies to the case of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who's…
Milk Sickness: The Story of Anna Pierce and a Uniquely American Deadly Historic Diagnosis

June 20, 2024 · 48 min

In the early 19th century, pioneers on the American western frontier were dying of an unusual illness. It even claimed the life of Nancy Lincoln, mother of the accomplished wrestler (and incidental president of the U.S.), Abraham…

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About the show

This is a show for all the nerdy medical history people.Three modern emergency physicians and their show's "medical history intern" take a lighthearted, humorous quest through various stories in the history of medicine. Topics from ancient times to recent history, all related to important advancements, people, or discoveries in the history of medicine. New episodes every two weeks!