Horrific History

4 Sep / 2018

Infectious Summer Lovin’

Welcome back Squeamers!

The season of summer lovin’ has come to a close in our hemisphere, but some things stick with you after your One or Two nights with Venus. While we may not have to worry about public bath houses spreading diseases, some intimate encounters still can and this article indicates that STIs (or STDs) are steadily on the rise. Practice safe lovin’ people, to protect yourself and the ones you love (and listen to our linked old episodes to appreciate how much medicine has advanced)! Come back next week to learn the horrible methods of birth control used in history (that we in no way endorse relying on today)!

Just remember, no squeam allowed!

 

Slideshow photo credit: taberandrew Syphilitic Diseases via photopin (license)

Blog photo credit: NIAID Chlamydia trachomatis Bacteria and the PmpD Protein via photopin (license)

19 Sep / 2017

Historical Incest

In Horrific History’s Inbreeding episode we talked about several cases of incest in history, many of which resulted in horrible results in the genetic lottery for offspring (especially after multiple generations). For your reading enjoyment, we found an article which talks about some of the cases we discussed, as well as several you may not be familiar with… just remember, no squeam allowed!

To read the article, click here.

 

Slideshow photo credit: sea turtle Ancient Faces (5) via photopin (license)

5 Sep / 2017

Labor & Brooklyn Bridge

In Horrific History’s most recent episode about some of the precursors to different labor movement across the globe in history, Eric covered some pieces of history contemporary to the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. While we may never know exactly how many died and the ways in which they lost their lives (many deaths and details have been lost to history and/or gone unrecorded) in the construction of the bridge, we do know that some were crushed by falling stones, killed by cables, or fell from great heights. Most deaths, however, seem to have come from “the bends” which was covered in our decompression sickness episode.

 

We found a source of information for those who are interested in learning more about the unsung builders of “The Great East River Bridge and some of the working conditions which led them to later organize and strike. Just remember, no squeam allowed!

 

Slideshow photo credit: Kai Lehmann brooklyn bridge (NYC) via photopin (license)

27 Jun / 2017

Ghost of the Manhattan Project

Fukushima isn’t the only nuclear site in the news lately! The Hanford Nuclear Reservation, only a couple of hours away from Horrific History Podcast’s headquarters in Washington State, has its own set of problems! A collapsed railway tunnel and radiation leak are just the start of the problems anticipated for the future, as the crumbling infrastructure at Hanford meets steep budget cuts in the cleanup of the toxic site. You can learn more in the linked article. Hanford was pivotal in the development of the first atomic bombs, and part of the Manhattan Project covered in For a Healthy Glow: Radiation Poisoning. #NoSqueamAllowed

 

Slideshow Photo Credit: Great Beyond Day 210/365 – The Fine Print is 10 feet tall via photopin (license)

Blog Post Photo Credit: Andras, Fulop Radiation Area 9606_814 via photopin (license)

30 May / 2017

Radium Girls

The Horrible Case of the Shining Women

You may remember hearing about the Radium Girls in our For a Healthy Glow: Radiation Poisoning episode, and we’ve added a great resource to our Store for those of you who want to learn more about their important part in history! There’s a physical book, The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women,  for those bibliophiles who need something to hold onto.

 

 

But for you audiophiles who prefer to absorb knowledge through listening to audio books or podcasts, we found […]

16 May / 2017

A High Price for Passage

What is a rite of passage for your young one worth when you’ll be paying it off for years to come? A timely follow up to our recent episode Black Broth and Broken Vines, the linked article is an exercise in contrasts. #NoSqueamAllowed!

 

Photo credits: The copyright for all photos in this post belong to the photographer, Delphine Blast.

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2 May / 2017

Mercury in uncomfortable places

It should come as no surprise to listeners of One Night With Venus Part 1 and Part 2 that a syringe full of mercury injected into a vagina was considered top-of-the-line medical treatment in the 16th Century. How often do you get to own such an, um, penetrating insight into the subject? Remember: No squeam allowed!

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Slideshow photo credit: CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

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18 Apr / 2017

You want radioactive boars? Because that’s how you get radioactive boars.

How could we have missed the radioactive boar phenomenon in our episode For a Healthy Glow, about radiation poisoning? Better late than never! Of course, given the nature of the subject matter, we’ll be reporting on Fukushima for a long time to come. Remember, #NoSqueamAllowed!

Blog post photo credit (from article): Toru Hanai/Reuters

Slideshow photo credit: Cloudtail the Snow Leopard Wild boar via photopin (license)

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14 Mar / 2017

Have a Friend for Lunch: Winter Cannibalism

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 […]

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9 Mar / 2017

Syphilis: Horrific History Today

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)