For a Healthy Glow

A finger, hand, limb or life…. What would you give up for the advancement of science? Would you give up as much as the Radium Martyrs of All Nations?

 

Horrific History Podcast’s co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender discuss radiation poisoning in history, beginning with late Renaissance alchemy research in 1603 and continuing on to address more modern history including the Manhattan Project, Kyshtym Disaster, Chernobyl, and touching on current-day Fukushima.

 

From capturing the “golden light of the sun” to “seeing one’s death” through x-ray experimentation, this episode discusses all the horrifying things that came with the development of radiation research including blindness, loss of appendages, and even slow painful demises! You’ll hear about radium condoms, miracle “cures” and other products like “liquid sunshine,” as well as the legal case of the “Radium Girls” who had been so exposed to radium over the course of their factory work that parts of them […]

Have a Friend for Lunch

Who would you eat first, family member or friend? Would it make a difference if you had to kill the person who would be your next meal or if they were already dead?

Horrific History Podcast’s co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender discuss winter cannibalism in history, specifically the Donner Party and the Colorado Cannibal, Alferd Packer. Grave scavenging and murders, prison breaks and lynching […]

With our “One Night with Venus” two-part debut episode (If you missed it, you can go directly to Part 1 and Part 2) already shared with the world, we thought we had covered the most horrifying historical details on syphilis and gonorrhea. Unfortunately, horrific things from history don’t always stay in the past. Sometimes they live on into present, where we create the history of tomorrow. We thought that those of you who enjoyed our “One Night with Venus” debut would be interested in this article from CNN from March 1, 2017: Record STD Rates Drive Syphilis in Newborns

 

photo credit: DHPersonal Simon in Light Therapy Bed via photopin (license)

One Night with Venus, Part 2

We’re now on Part 2 of our Valentine’s Day debut with our co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender, continuing their discussion on period accounts in western culture of the historical description of symptoms and gruesome historical treatments of gonorrhea and syphilis (and modern media representations of them)! This episode primarily covers accounts from the Renaissance to more modern history including receiving purple flowers, masks and prosthetic noses, animal gut condoms, and historical poultices for testicular swelling. And if that’s not gross enough for you, we’re also covering urethral lavage, gonorrheal aprons, pustules, rotting brains and mobsters! […]

One Night with Venus, Part 1

Happy VD! It’s Valentine’s Day, so you may think we’re debuting our Horrific History Podcast on the horrible gifts people have given for the occasion (and, you may be right, from a certain point of view). No, we won’t be talking about candy and wine; we’re focusing on venereal diseases! Our co-hosts, Eric Slyter and Curtis Bender, will specifically be discussing period accounts in western culture of the symptoms and gruesome historical treatments of gonorrhea and syphilis, in stomach-churning detail. Rashes, prostitution, burning sensations and blindness… you’ll find it all here. […]

10 Feb / 2017

No Squeam Allowed!

No Squeam Allowed!

Hello and welcome to those who appreciate history and the gory, disgusting and downright revolting details which made our history teachers turn green! This podcast is not for the faint of heart (or weak of stomach). We are dedicated to sharing the facts of history in all their grisly detail. While not glorifying the true misfortunes of history, we intend to put facts under the microscope with a dose of levity; our goal is to answer those questions you may have been afraid to ask, or your teacher was afraid to answer. Only by examining the sometimes awful reality of history can we learn from it. Why not have a laugh (and dry heaves) while doing so?

 

photo credit: Gamma Man The Black Salve Experiment. Tumors two and three. via photopin (license)