Historical Toxicology (OLD TIMEY POISONS) with Deborah Blum
Metal poisons. Odorless ones. Toxic plants. Iocane powder, arsenic, old lace, poisons as self-defense, black mirrors, Aqua Tofanas, movie myths, and the start of testing for that which ails or kills you: we’ve got Historical Toxicology with Pulitzer Prize-winning science author & chemistry connoisseur Deborah Blum. She wrote the beloved “Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York” and takes us through a spooky walk in time, when chemistry was magic and homicide was an easier feat.
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Visit Deborah Blum’s website and follow her on Instagram
Buy her books including The Poison Squad and The Poisoner’s Handbook on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Donations went to World Central Kitchen and Earthjustice
Links to things we discussed:
Chemical Terrorism Fact Sheet Blood Agents - Cyanides: Hydrogen cyanide and Cyanogen chloride
A Genetic Basis for Hypersensitivity to “Sweaty” Odors in Humans
Ability to smell Solutions of Potassium Cyanide
Arsenic trioxide (intravenous route)
Scheele’s Green, the Color of Fake Foliage and Death
FDA Approves Trisenox for Second-Line Treatment of APL
Arsenic Trioxide and Tretinoin (AsO/ATRA) for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)
1858’s The Arts of Beauty; or, Secrets of a lady's toilet
Autumn Marie Klein, MD, PhD (1971–2013)
Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers
Mr. Yuk inventor, Richard Moriarty, MD Obituary
Dr. Richard Moriarty, who helped create ‘Mr. Yuk’ poison warning for kids, dies at 83
1858 Bradford sweets poisoning
Lethal lozenges and tainted tea : a biography of John Postgate
Arsenic Contamination and Arsenicosis in China
Arsenic toxicity exacerbates China’s groundwater and health crisis
Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison (Official Music Video)
World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack
Loss of tolerance and overdose mortality after inpatient opiate detoxification: follow up study
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Witchology (WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT)
Foraging Ecology (EATING WILD PLANTS)
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn