As one of the largest man made disasters in public health history, the discovery and realization of the disastrous effects of thalidomide in pregnant patients has paved a way to…
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Episode 26: 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…
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Episode 25: Beyond Bicycle Day: The Story of Albert Hofmann and the Discovery of LSDEpisode 25:
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,…
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Episode 24: 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…
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Episode 23: 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…
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Episode 22: Radithor Radioactive Water
In 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…
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Episode 21: The Salem Witch Trials and the Ergot Hypothesis
The 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…
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Episode 20: Bringing Deadly Sleepe: A Review of Selected Pre-1900s Toxicology Literature
Toxicology 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…
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Episode 19: Dioxins and the Poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko
Dioxins 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,…
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Episode 18: Twisted Sister, a Widow’s Intrigue
Springtime at the turn of the 20thcentury promised rebirth, hope, and prosperity in America. But in northern Michigan, a twisted nightmare was consuming an idyllic community. An infant was found…
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