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. 13h ago

    The Barbaric Birth Toolbox: Forceps, Vacuums & Cutting Into Bone

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons For centuries, when a baby became stuck during labor, physicians and midwives had very few options. Hooks, knives, saws, forceps, and eventually vacuum extractors were developed to help manage some of the most dangerous complications of childbirth. Some were revolutionary. Others caused devastating injuries. And some were kept secret for generations because their inventors knew just how valuable—and controversial—they could be. In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we take a deep dive into the brutal, bizarre, and surprisingly fascinating history of obstetric instruments. 📚 References  Efficacy of obstetrics forceps and vacuum extractor to assist during vaginal delivery: systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12671670/Hook CD, Damos JR. Vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery. Am Fam Physician. 2008;78(8):953-960. American Family PhysicianMerck Manual Professional Edition. Operative vaginal delivery. Merck ManualStatPearls. [Clinical reference]. StatPearls Publishing. NCBI BookshelfPatel RR, Murphy DJ. Forceps delivery in modern obstetric practice. BMJ. 2004. PubMed CentralHistory.com Editors. The chainsaw was originally invented to assist with childbirth. History. History.comSheikh S, Ganesaratnam I, Jan H. The birth of forceps. JRSM Short Rep. 2013;4(7):1-4. doi:10.1177/2042533313478412. PubMed CentralDittrick Medical History Center. Mystery instruments: forceps in myth and history. Case Western Reserve University. Dittrick Medical History CenterMotherhood in Prehistory. Embryotomy/fetotomy. 2016. Motherhood in PrehistorySEE LINK TREE FOR FULL LIST OF RESOURCES

  2. 3d ago ·  Bonus

    Case File: The Term Breech Trial: The One to Rule Them All

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons Breech presentation occurs in roughly 3–4% of full-term pregnancies. For decades, obstetricians debated a deceptively simple question: Is it safer to deliver a term breech baby vaginally—or by planned cesarean section? In this episode of The Cadaver’s Files, we dive into one of the most influential—and controversial—studies in modern obstetrics: the Term Breech Trial. Conducted across 121 centers in 26 countries, the trial enrolled more than 2,000 women between 1997 and 2000. Its goal was to determine whether a policy of planned cesarean delivery resulted in better outcomes than planned vaginal breech birth. And the results were striking. 📚 References  Hannah ME, et al. Planned caesarean section versus planned vaginal birth for breech presentation at term: a randomised multicentre trial. Lancet. 2000;356(9239):1375-1383. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02840-3.Murray H. Term Breech Trial. O&G Magazine. 2012;14(2).Hannah ME, et al. Maternal outcomes at 2 years after planned cesarean versus planned vaginal birth for breech presentation at term. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004;191(3):864-871.CREOGS Over Coffee. The Term Breech Trial. May 29, 2022.

  3. Aug 10

    Breech Births: Ancient Tricks to Modern Trials

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What if the most dangerous part of childbirth… was simply the baby’s position? By the end of pregnancy, most babies naturally turn head down. But when a baby remains breech, with the buttocks or feet positioned to deliver first, childbirth can become significantly more complicated—and potentially life-threatening. Breech birth has challenged midwives, physicians, and parents for centuries. From ancient attempts to turn the fetus, to hands-on maneuvers performed before modern anesthesia or antibiotics, to the dramatic rise of cesarean delivery, the history of breech birth tells us a lot about how medicine learns, changes, and sometimes overcorrects. In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we’re going inside the history, anatomy, evidence, and ethics of breech birth. 📚 References  Gray CJ, Shanahan MM. Breech presentation. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf. 2022.American Pregnancy Association. Breech presentation.Cleveland Clinic. Breech baby.Superville SS, Siccardi MA. Leopold maneuvers. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf. 2024.Healthline. Moxibustion: Uses and safety.MedBullets. Breech presentation.Martingano D, et al. External cephalic version. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf.Takeda J, Ishikawa G, Takeda S. Clinical tips of cesarean section in case of breech, transverse presentation, and incarcerated uterus. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2020;6(Suppl 2).Medievalists.net. Historical resources on medieval childbirth.White B. Pregnancy and childbirth in the eighteenth century. Bianca White Writes. 2023.Braithwaite K. Mothers and midwives in the 17th century. Andrea Zuvich.University of California eScholarship. Historical study of childbirth.Oxford Reference. Historical reference entry. Oxford University Press.Kim GJ. Reviving external cephalic version: a review of its efficacy, safety, and technical aspects. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2019;62(6):371-381.Murray H. Term Breech Trial. O&G Magazine. 2012;14(2).Neonatology.net. Adolphe Pinard (1844-1934).

  4. Aug 7 ·  Bonus

    Case File: Body Packing: The Deadly Evolution of Drug Smuggling

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons Long before cartels ruled the cocaine trade, drugs crossed international borders legally. But as governments criminalized narcotics in the early 20th century, organized crime evolved—and so did the methods used to evade law enforcement. In this episode of The Cadaver's Files, we trace the history of body packing, from the rise of the Medellín Cartel and the global cocaine boom to the dangerous practice of swallowing drug-filled packets to transport narcotics across borders. You'll learn how cartels revolutionized drug trafficking, why desperate couriers risked their lives, how physicians first recognized "body packing syndrome," and the life-threatening medical emergencies caused by ruptured drug packets. We also examine the landmark Supreme Court case United States v. Montoya de Hernandez (1985), which forever changed the balance between individual privacy and border security by establishing the "reasonable suspicion" standard for prolonged border detentions. 📚 References  MSD Manual Professional Edition. Body packing and body stuffing. MSD Manuals. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/special-subjects/illicit-drugs-and-intoxicants/body-packing-and-body-stuffingVearrier D, Greenberg MI, Miller SN, Okaneku JT, Haggerty DA. Methamphetamine: history, pathophysiology, adverse health effects, current trends, and hazards associated with the clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine. Forensic Res Criminol Int J. 2017;2(2):71-77. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://medcraveonline.com/FRCIJ/FRCIJ-02-00071All That's Interesting. The Medellín Cartel: Inside Pablo Escobar's criminal empire. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://allthatsinteresting.com/medellin-cartelBooker RJ, Smith JE, Rodger MP. Packers, pushers and stuffers—managing patients with concealed drugs in UK emergency departments: a clinical and medicolegal review. Emerg Med J. 2015;32(4):316-320. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4067033/United States v. Montoya De Hernandez. 473 US 531 (1985). Accessed August 6, 2026. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/473/531/Constitution Annotated. Fourth Amendment. Congress.gov. Accessed August 6, 2026. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/

  5. Aug 3

    Cocaine: Euphoria, Ischemia, and Sudden Death

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons For thousands of years, the coca leaf was revered by Indigenous cultures throughout the Andes. It eased hunger, reduced fatigue, relieved altitude sickness, and even played a role in early medical practices. In the late 1800s, scientists isolated cocaine from the coca plant, transforming a traditional remedy into what many physicians believed was a miracle drug. Cocaine quickly became one of medicine's greatest success stories—used to treat depression, morphine addiction, fatigue, toothaches, and, one of the first effective local anesthetics. As addiction, overdose, heart attacks, psychosis, and sudden deaths mounted, the medical community was forced to confront a devastating reality: the same drug capable of revolutionizing surgery could also destroy lives. 📚 References  Merck Manual Professional Edition. (n.d.). Cocaine. https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/special-subjects/illicit-drugs-and-intoxicants/cocaineNational Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Cocaine research report. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/cocaine#pregnancyNational Library of Medicine. (n.d.). History of cocaine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/pickyourpoison/exhibition-cocaine.htmlNational Center for Biotechnology Information. (2023). Cocaine toxicity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430976/National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2019). Cocaine and the heart. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6752252/National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2008). Medical complications of cocaine use. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2600058/MedCrave Online. (n.d.). Pulmonary effects of cocaine use. https://medcraveonline.com/JLPRR/pulmonary-effects-of-cocaine-use.htmlNational Center for Biotechnology Information. (2022). Cocaine-induced stroke and neurological complications. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9121409/Renal Fellow Network. (2019). Not just muscle damage: The many ways cocaine causes kidney injury. https://www.renalfellow.org/2019/04/24/not-just-muscle-damage-the-many-ways-cocaine-causes-kidney-injury/National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2025). Historical and medical perspectives on cocaine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12026069/

  6. Jul 31 ·  Bonus

    Case File: The Hippocratic Oath: Medicine's Most Famous Promise

    "First, do no harm." It's one of the most recognizable phrases in medicine—but did Hippocrates ever actually say it? In this episode of The Cadaver's Lessons, we dive into the 2,400-year history of the Hippocratic Oath and uncover the surprising truth behind one of medicine's oldest ethical codes. We'll explore who Hippocrates really was, whether he even wrote the oath that bears his name, and how a document that spent centuries in obscurity became one of the defining symbols of the medical profession. We'll also break down the original oath line by line, discussing its promises to teachers, patients, and fellow physicians, while examining controversial passages on abortion, physician-assisted death, surgery, confidentiality, and professional conduct. Many of these statements are far more nuanced than modern translations suggest, and some have been misunderstood for generations. Finally, we examine why the original Hippocratic Oath is rarely used today, how the horrors of World War II reshaped medical ethics, and why modern physicians are more likely to recite the Declaration of Geneva or Louis Lasagna's updated oath than the ancient Greek original. 📚 References  Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine. The Hippocratic Oath: Origins and Significance. https://einsteinmed.edu/UPLOADEDFILES/EJBM/PAGE41_PAGE44.PDFAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. "The Hippocratic Oath and Abortion: Historical Context and Modern Interpretation." https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00068-1/fulltextRice University Baker Institute. Why the Hippocratic Oath Is Still Relevant. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/why-hippocratic-oath-still-relevantWorld Medical Association. Declaration of Geneva. https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-geneva/Hematology Reports. "The Hippocratic Oath." https://www.ovid.com/jnls/hrtv/fulltext/01316613-200506020-00009~the-hippocratic-oathCato Institute. The Hippocratic Oath in a Free Society. https://www.cato.org/study/hippocratic-oath-free-society

  7. Jul 27

    The Last Prescription: The History of Medical Aid in Dying

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons In this episode of The Cadaver's Lessons, we trace the history of assisted dying from ancient Greece and the Hippocratic Oath to the Nazi misuse of the term "euthanasia," the landmark legal cases that shaped modern end-of-life care, and today's Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) laws. This episode doesn't tell you what to believe—it gives you the history, medicine, and ethics so you can decide for yourself. Interview referenced in this episode: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/more-states-legalize-medically-assisted-suicide-for-terminal-patients 📚 References  Academy of Life and Law. (n.d.). History of physician-assisted suicide. https://aul.org/physician-assisted-suicide/history/Beauchamp, T. L. (2023). Physician-assisted death. The Hastings Center. https://www.thehastingscenter.org/briefingbook/physician-assisted-death/Death With Dignity. (2023, December). The legality of medical aid in dying across the world. https://deathwithdignity.org/news/2023/12/legality-of-maid-across-the-world/ National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2020). Physician-assisted suicide. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551620/BMC Medical Ethics. (2023). Ethical considerations surrounding medical assistance in dying. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10184842/BMC Medical Ethics. (2019). Ethical perspectives on physician-assisted dying and end-of-life decision making. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6913818/Journal of Medical Ethics. (2021). Medical assistance in dying: Ethical and legal considerations. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8655630/Journal of Medical Ethics. (2023). Medical aid in dying: Current evidence and international perspectives. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10227869/Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. (2005). The history of euthanasia debates in medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1125125/Journal of Medical Ethics. (2025). Contemporary perspectives on medical assistance in dying. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12123498/

  8. Jul 24 ·  Bonus

    Case File: The Birth of Intubation: How Joseph O'Dwyer Changed Medicine Forever

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons Before modern endotracheal tubes, before ventilators, and before antibiotics, children with diphtheria often died slowly from suffocation. Tracheotomy was the only available treatment—and for many young patients, it offered little hope. In this episode, we tell the remarkable story of Dr. Joseph O'Dwyer, the physician who refused to accept that reality. Working in New York's overcrowded Foundling Asylum during the late 1800s, O'Dwyer witnessed hundreds of children die from "croup" (diphtheria). Determined to find another way, he spent six years studying cadavers, creating airway molds, redesigning instruments, and repeatedly testing new techniques until he developed the first practical method of laryngeal intubation. His work transformed emergency airway management, paved the way for modern endotracheal tubes, and ultimately helped shape the development of positive-pressure ventilation used in medicine today. 📚 References  Meier C, Cadogan M. Joseph O'Dwyer. Life in the Fast Lane (LITFL) Medical Eponym Library. Published February 9, 2026. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://litfl.com/joseph-odwyer/Trubuhovich RV. 19th century pioneers of intensive therapy in North America: Part 2. Joseph O'Dwyer. Critical Care and Resuscitation. 2008;10(2):154-168. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1441277223013315Walsh JJ. Dr. Joseph O'Dwyer, Inventor of Intubation. The Linacre Quarterly. 1939;7(2):43-44. Marquette University e-PublicationsWikipedia contributors. Joseph O'Dwyer. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed July 22, 2026.Mason P. The untold story of Joseph O'Dwyer: Pioneer of laryngeal intubation. The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 2024. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01455613241277696

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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
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Bernadette & Samantha Smith
  • Show Website
    The Cadaver's Lessons

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