Warfarin: How a rat poison became one of the world’s most widely prescribed drugs

In the 1930s, an unknown disease was killing cattle across the Midwest. One Wisconsin farmer traveled 200 miles through a blizzard to the University of Wisconsin, desperate to find a solution. To emphasize the dire nature of the situation, that farmer brought the evidence with him, loading up his truck with bales of spoiled hay, a milk can of uncoagulated blood, and a dead cow. Quite by chance, he crossed paths with a sympathetic scientist and medical history was made.

Learn how that chance meeting set off a series of medical discoveries that resulted in a one-time rat poison saving President Eisenhower’s life and becoming one of the world’s most widely prescribed drugs. This is the story of warfarin.

Warning: This episode contains the description of an attempted suicide and may not be suitable for all audiences. If you or someone you know needs help call 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionhotline.com.

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