The Cadaver's Lessons

Bernadette & Samantha Smith

The Cadaver's Lessons is a podcast that explores the strange, fascinating, and sometimes unsettling history of medicine. Each episode traces the origins of medical practices and rare or unusual diagnoses, examining why people believed in them, how they were used, and what they reveal about the people and societies behind them. From early anatomy and experimental treatments to cases where medicine and crime collide, this show examines what lessons the past has left behind. Some ideas evolved into the foundations of modern healthcare. Others? Definitely should have stayed buried. Episodes range in tone and focus: some lean heavily into medical history and science, others drift into true crime, and many sit right at the intersection of both. If you’re curious about the darker side of medicine, the origins of what doctors do today, and the stories written into human bodies, well class is in session—and the cadaver is already on the table.

  1. 1d ago

    Rot From Within: The Deadly Science of Mucormycosis

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What if a fungus could invade your blood vessels, cut off your blood supply, and literally cause your own tissue to die? Meet mucormycosis, better known as “black fungus.” This rare but aggressive infection is caused by environmental molds found in soil, compost, and decaying organic matter. In vulnerable patients, it can rapidly destroy tissue, invade the sinuses and brain, cause blindness and strokes, and become fatal. In this episode, we're digging into the history of this terrifying infection, from its earliest documented cases and the first known survivor in 1955 to the development of amphotericin B and the devastating surge of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll break down how this fungus exploits weakened immune systems, why uncontrolled diabetes and DKA create the perfect environment for infection, and how something as seemingly harmless as inhaling environmental spores can turn into a medical nightmare. We'll also share a real-world patient case that highlights just how difficult this infection can be to recognize, diagnose, and treat. 📚 References  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Mucormycosis.Mucormycosis. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf.Mucormycosis: A Review. Clinical Medicine & Research Journal.Cleveland Clinic. Mucormycosis (Black Fungus).Journal of Applied Microbiology. Research on Mucormycosis.Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science. Article on Mucormycosis.Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Mucormycosis: An Update.Angioinvasive Mucormycosis in Burn Intensive Care Units: A Case Report and Review of Literature.Harris JS. Mucormycosis: Report of a case. Pediatrics. 1955;16(6):857–867. PubMedHendrickson RG, Olshaker J, Duckett O. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis: A case of a rare, but deadly disease. J Emerg Med. 1999;17(4):641–645. Read articleSixty Years of Amphotericin B: An Overview of the Main Antifungal Agent Used to Treat Invasive Fungal Infections.Emerging Infectious Diseases. CDC. Article on Mucormycosis.Clinical and Nursing Research article on Mucormycosis.Research article on Mucormycosis. PMC.

  2. 4d ago

    Case File: Dead for Sale: The Dark Business of Body Snatching

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons Imagine burying a loved one, saying your final goodbyes, and believing they can finally rest in peace… only to discover their body has been stolen and sold to a medical school. In 18th- and 19th-century Britain, the demand for human bodies in medical education created a booming underground trade. Known as resurrectionists, body snatchers dug up freshly buried corpses and sold them to anatomists desperate for cadavers. But what happens when grave robbing becomes too much work, and murder becomes the easier business? This week, we're uncovering the disturbing history of body snatching, from the resurrectionist gangs of Britain to the infamous murders committed by Burke and Hare and the London Burkers. We'll explore the medical education system that fueled the trade, the victims who paid the price, and the Anatomy Act of 1832 that changed how medical schools obtained human bodies. And while the practice eventually became regulated, the ethical questions surrounding who gets used for medical science didn't disappear. 📚 References  Mitchell PD, Boston C, Chamberlain AT, et al. The study of anatomy in England from 1700 to the early 20th century. J Anat. 2011;219(2):91-99. Read article.Hogan C. Diary of a resurrectionist: The unique record of a frightening trade born out of necessity. Royal College of Surgeons of England. May 27, 2025.Bailey JB. The Diary of a Resurrectionist, 1811-1812: To Which Are Added an Account of the Resurrection Men in London and a Short History of the Passing of the Anatomy Act. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co.; 1896.MacDonald H. Procuring corpses: the English Anatomy Inspectorate, 1842 to 1858. Med Hist. 2009;53(3):379-396. Read article.Philp J. Bodies and bureaucracy: the demise of the body snatchers in 19th century Britain. Anat Rec. 2022;305(4):827-837. Read article.BBC Bitesize. Body snatching and the history of anatomy. BBC.Frank JB. Body snatching: a grave medical problem. Yale J Biol Med. 1976;49(4):399-410. Read article.

  3. Oct 26

    Embalming: The Science of Staying Dead

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What does it really mean to preserve the dead? From ancient mummification to modern funeral homes, humans have gone to extraordinary lengths to delay decomposition—and the history is far more complicated than you might think. In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we explore the evolution of embalming, beginning with the Chinchorro people of South America, who practiced mummification thousands of years before the ancient Egyptians. We’ll uncover the elaborate preservation rituals of ancient Egypt, the experimental techniques of Renaissance anatomists, and the chemical innovations that transformed embalming into a modern profession. Then, we travel to the American Civil War, when embalming became increasingly popular as families sought to bring fallen soldiers home. From the rise of open-casket funerals to the widespread adoption of formaldehyde, we examine how cultural expectations, scientific discovery, and the funeral industry shaped the way we care for our dead. But preservation comes with a cost. We’re investigating the ethics of profiting from grief, the dangers of toxic embalming chemicals, and the pressure families may feel to embalm their loved ones. Is embalming essential for saying goodbye, or have we turned a personal choice into a cultural expectation? Class is dismissed. Stay safe and stay curious. 📚 References  History of Embalming: An Overview. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Read the article on PMC.Embalming. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Read on NCBI Bookshelf.Ancient Egyptian Mummification Was Not the First. GenK. Published May 26, 2022. Read the article.History of Embalming. Barton Funeral Home. Read more.Embalming. Sherman's Chapel. Read more.Embalming. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Read the legal overview.Ancient Embalming Practices. Serenity Casket. Read more.The Enduring Mystery of Lady Dai's Mummy. Ancient Origins. Read the article.Inca Mummies and the Afterlife. HISTORY. Read the article.Civil War Embalming. National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Read more.Civil War Embalming: How It Changed American Funerals. HISTORY. Read the article.Embalming: Overview. Medscape. Read the medical overview.Is Embalming Required Before Cremation? St. Louis Cremation. Read more.

  4. Oct 23 ·  Bonus

    Case File: Planned Parenthood: Progress, Politics, and Eugenics

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What do birth control, abortion access, and one of the most controversial figures in reproductive history have in common? Planned Parenthood. For more than a century, Planned Parenthood has stood at the center of America's fight over reproductive autonomy. From Margaret Sanger's first birth control clinic in Brooklyn to the landmark Supreme Court cases that reshaped contraception and abortion access, the organization's history is deeply intertwined with the evolution of reproductive healthcare in the United States. But the story is far more complicated than you might think. In this episode of The Cadaver's Lessons, we're opening the case file on Planned Parenthood to explore its origins in the early birth control movement, Margaret Sanger's complicated legacy and ties to the eugenics movement, and the controversies surrounding the organization's efforts to expand access to contraception and family planning. We'll trace the legal battles that changed reproductive healthcare, from the Comstock Act and landmark contraception cases to Roe v. Wade and the eventual overturning of federal abortion protections in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. We'll also examine the organization's evolving role in sexual health, HIV prevention, cancer screening, sex education, and gender-affirming care. 📚 References  Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Our history. Planned Parenthood.Planned Parenthood Action Fund. End the global gag rule. Planned Parenthood Action Fund.Indiana University Bloomington, ScholarWorks. Research repository resource on Planned Parenthood and reproductive history. Indiana University.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notice to readers: FDA approval of Plan B emergency contraceptive pills. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999.Office of Population Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Title X program funding history. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Office of Population Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About Title X service grants. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.History.com Editors. Planned Parenthood v. Casey. HISTORY.Supreme Court of the United States. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, No. 19-1392. Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute.Reuters Fact Check. Fact check: Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger’s 1939 quote on “exterminating” Black people. Reuters.

  5. Oct 19

    The IUD: Copper, Coils, and Contraception

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons This episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons dives into the fascinating, disturbing, and downright bizarre history of intrauterine devices (IUDs). From ancient contraceptive remedies and early experiments with silkworm gut to the development of modern copper and hormonal IUDs. Then, we’re bringing the conversation into the present: How exactly does an IUD prevent pregnancy? We’ll break down the differences between copper and hormonal IUDs, their benefits and risks, and the latest research shaping contraceptive care. 📚 References  Margulies L. History of intrauterine devices. Bull N Y Acad Med. 1975;51(5):662-667.Hubacher D. The checkered history and bright future of intrauterine contraception in the United States. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2002;34(2):98-103.History of long-acting reversible contraception. George Washington University, Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. PDF.Davidson ER. Historical contraception: Birth control before “the pill”. Hektoen International. 2015.Intrauterine device. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.Intrauterine devices (IUDs). Merck Manual Consumer Version.Intrauterine device (IUD). Cleveland Clinic.Corbett M, Bautista B. A history: The IUD. Reproductive Health Access Project. Updated March 20, 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Intrauterine contraception. U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use.Pain management during intrauterine device insertion in nulliparous women: A scoping review. Cureus. 2024.Contraception in ancient history. Europeana.Douching and spermicides. Dittrick Medical History Center, Case Western Reserve University.U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fifty years of the Medical Device Amendments: Building a strong foundation to advance safe, effective, and high-quality medical devices.Plastic IUD developed for birth control. EBSCO Research Starters.

  6. Oct 16 ·  Bonus

    Case File: The Price of the Pill: Puerto Rico’s Forgotten Clinical Trials

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons In the 1950s, researchers traveled to Puerto Rico to test Enovid, the first birth control pill. Their work would help revolutionize reproductive healthcare, but the women who made this medical breakthrough possible were never fully informed of the risks they were taking. In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we investigate the controversial Puerto Rico trials, where women experienced severe side effects, dozens dropped out, and three deaths went uninvestigated. Researchers dismissed many of their complaints as psychological, raising troubling questions about medical ethics, informed consent, and whose suffering gets taken seriously in the name of scientific progress. We explore the island’s history of population control and sterilization, the circumstances that made Puerto Rico a testing ground, and the women who participated in hopes of gaining greater control over their reproductive lives. We also examine how the trials contributed to a medical revolution—and how later tragedies helped reshape the rules governing human experimentation. 📚 References  American Experience. The Puerto Rico Pill Trials. PBS.American Experience. The Pill and Informed Consent. PBS.History.com Editors. The birth control pill’s controversial history in Puerto Rico. HISTORY.The Harvard Crimson. The Bitter Pill. September 28, 2017.The Scientist. Birth of the Pill: 1956–1960.Wikipedia contributors. Edris Rice-Wray Carson. Wikipedia.Wikipedia contributors. Contraceptive trials in Puerto Rico. Wikipedia.The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. Enovid: First Hormonal Birth Control Pill, 1957–1988. Arizona State University.Facts and ideas from anywhere.. National Library of Medicine.

  7. Oct 12

    The Pill: Sex, Science and Scandal

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What if one tiny pill could change the course of history—but the story behind it was far from a miracle? Before the birth control pill, preventing pregnancy was often unreliable, dangerous, or inaccessible. Then came a groundbreaking scientific discovery, a women’s rights movement, millions of dollars, and a medication that transformed reproductive freedom forever. 📚 References  Mayo Clinic. Choosing a birth control pill. Reproductive Health Access Project. Contraceptive pearl: Understanding the differences between combined and progestin-only oral contraceptives. The Royal Women's Hospital. Contraceptive pills. StatPearls Publishing. Oral contraceptive pills. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Rosenberg M. Weight change with oral contraceptive use and during the menstrual cycle: results of daily measurements. Contraception. 1998;58(6):345-349. doi:10.1016/S0010-7824(98)00127-9.Hormonal contraception and mood disorders. Aust Prescr. 2022;45(3):75-79. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2022.025.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. What you should know about breakthrough bleeding with birth control. Article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. National Cancer Institute. Oral contraceptives and cancer risk. UCSF Center for Reproductive Health. The normal menstrual cycle. PBS. The Pill: A timeline. American Experience. Half a century of the oral contraceptive pill: Historical review and view to the future. Gandhi AB, Supe PA. Evolution of oral contraceptive pills. J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2024;74(2):109-112. doi:10.1007/s13224-024-01988-4. Full text.EBSCO Research Starters. The first American birth control clinic opens. PBS. Gregory Pincus (1903–1967). American Experience. The Harvard Crimson. The bitter pill. September 28, 2017.

  8. Oct 9 ·  Bonus

    Case File: The Evil Eye: When Envy Could Kill

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons For thousands of years, cultures across the world have shared some version of a terrifying idea: a person's gaze could cause harm. The evil eye is traditionally associated with envy, jealousy, admiration, resentment, beauty, wealth, fertility, healthy children, livestock, crops, and good fortune. But the evil eye isn't simply an ancient version of a curse. In this episode of The Cadaver's Files, we explore the history of the evil eye and the much bigger question behind it: why have humans been so afraid of being seen? 📚 References  Allison DC Jr. The eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6.22–23=Luke 11.34–36). New Testament Studies. 1987;33(1):61-83. Cambridge University PressGomes FB. Iron Age glass eye beads in southern Portugal (7th–2nd centuries BCE). Trabajos de Prehistoria. 2023;80(2):e17. Trabajos de PrehistoriaBible Gateway. Evil Eye. Encyclopedia of the Bible. Bible Gateway: Evil EyeBible Gateway. Matthew 6:23; Deuteronomy 15:9; Proverbs 23:6. Holy Bible. English Standard Version; New International Version; King James Version. Bible Gateway: Biblical PassagesSefaria. Bava Metzia 84a:11. The William Davidson Talmud. Sefaria: Bava Metzia 84a:11Kohler K, Blau L. Evil Eye. In: Jewish Encyclopedia. 1906. Jewish Encyclopedia: Evil EyeElliott JH. Beware the Evil Eye. Volume 3, The Bible and Related Sources: The Evil Eye in the Bible and the Ancient World. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books; 2016. National Library of Israel catalog recordBlaisdell A, Vindal Ødegaard C. Losing fat, gaining treatments: the use of biomedicine as a cure for folk illnesses in the Andes. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2014;10:52. PubMed Central full textTilford N. Evil Eye. Oxford Bibliographies in Biblical Studies. Oxford University Press; 2014. Oxford AcademicParker A. The phallus and the evil eye: phallic amulets in the Roman world. Ancient World Magazine. December 7, 2021. Ancient World MagazineIsrael National News. Israel National News articleTurkish Textbook. Nazar: the evil eye in Turkish culture. Turkish Textbook: NazarThe Minds Journal. Egg cleanse ritual to release the evil eye. The Minds Journal

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About

The Cadaver's Lessons is a podcast that explores the strange, fascinating, and sometimes unsettling history of medicine. Each episode traces the origins of medical practices and rare or unusual diagnoses, examining why people believed in them, how they were used, and what they reveal about the people and societies behind them. From early anatomy and experimental treatments to cases where medicine and crime collide, this show examines what lessons the past has left behind. Some ideas evolved into the foundations of modern healthcare. Others? Definitely should have stayed buried. Episodes range in tone and focus: some lean heavily into medical history and science, others drift into true crime, and many sit right at the intersection of both. If you’re curious about the darker side of medicine, the origins of what doctors do today, and the stories written into human bodies, well class is in session—and the cadaver is already on the table.

Information

  • Creator
    Bernadette & Samantha Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    88
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bernadette & Samantha Smith
  • Show Website
    The Cadaver's Lessons

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