The Cadaver's Lessons

Bernadette & Samantha Smith
  • 5.0 (12)
  • True Crime

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. 3d ago

    Peyote: From Sacrament to Schedule I

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons A tiny, spineless cactus with a history thousands of years in the making. In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we’re diving into peyote—a plant that has been used by Indigenous communities as a sacrament, medicine, and part of deeply meaningful spiritual traditions long before Western science ever studied it. We’ll trace peyote from its Indigenous origins through colonization, the rise of the Native American Church, and the moment Western scientists isolated mescaline, the psychedelic compound responsible for many of peyote’s effects. Then we’re getting into the science: How does mescaline actually alter perception? Why can the experience last 10–12 hours? What happens when it interacts with serotonin receptors? And what does mescaline poisoning look like in the ED? We’ll also explore the complicated history of psychedelics in psychiatry, including the early use of mescaline as a model for psychosis and its role in studying consciousness and hallucinations. And finally, we’re asking what happens when an ancient Indigenous sacrament becomes the subject of modern pharmaceutical research. Because peyote isn't simply a drug. It is sacred, culturally significant, and ecologically vulnerable—and its slow growth creates an uncomfortable question: What happens if medical interest in mescaline becomes so successful that it threatens the plant itself? 📚 References  Doesburg-van Kleffens M, et al. Molecules. 2023;28(24):7942. [PMC10746114]Dinis-Oliveira RJ, et al. Curr Mol Pharmacol. 2019;12(3):184-194. [PMC6864602]J Ethnopharmacol. 2005. [ScienceDirect article]QPS. “From Cultural Rite to Clinical Trial: Examining the Therapeutic Potential of Mescaline.” 2022.Vamvakopoulou IA, et al. Neuropharmacology. 2023;222:109294.US Dept of Justice. Peyote Exemption for Native American Church. 1981.Uthaug MV, et al. J Psychopharmacol. 2022;36(3):309-320.American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994. Pub L No. 103-344. 1994.Jay M. “The Encounter That Introduced Peyote to Western Science.” Chacruna. 2019.Bush L. “Louis Lewin and Peyote.” Jewish Currents. 2016.Der Meskalinrausch. Wikipedia.MindMed. “MindMed Announces the Approval of Mescaline Study.” BioSpace. 2021.Journey Colab. Journey Colab.Biomind Labs. “Biomind Labs to Commence Commercial Clinical Trial on Its Proprietary Mescaline Candidate BMND06.” Business Wire. 2022.XPhyto Therapeutics. “XPhyto Adds Mescaline Production to Psychedelic Medicine Programs.” 2021.

  2. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    Case File: James Marion Sims: The Women Behind the Father of Modern Gynecology

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What if the man known as the “father of modern gynecology” built his reputation by experimenting on women who had no meaningful legal right to say no? In the 1840s, physician James Marion Sims began operating on enslaved Black women suffering from obstetric fistulas—devastating childbirth injuries that could leave women leaking urine or feces through the vagina for years. Sims performed operation after operation, changing his instruments, techniques, positioning, and sutures in an attempt to develop a successful repair. One woman, Anarcha, reportedly endured approximately 30 operations before Sims achieved a successful repair. His work would eventually transform gynecologic surgery. But what happens when medical progress is built on people who couldn't truly consent? 📚 References  Holland B. The “father of modern gynecology” performed shocking experiments on enslaved women. HISTORY. Published August 29, 2017. Updated December 3, 2025. Accessed September 24, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/the-father-of-modern-gynecology-performed-shocking-experiments-on-slavesShende P, Jagtap A, Goswami B. The legacy of James Marion Sims: history revisited. Cureus. 2024;16(9):e69484. doi:10.7759/cureus.69484.Wall LL. The medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record. J Med Ethics. 2006;32(6):346-350. doi:10.1136/jme.2005.012559.New-York Historical Society. Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy: the mothers of modern gynecology. Women & the American Story. Accessed September 24, 2026. Women & the American StoryHill MA. The stain of slavery on the Black women's body and the development gynecology: historical trauma of a Black women's body. The Macksey Journal. 2020;1(1):Article 86. The Macksey Journal articleDomonoske C. “Father of gynecology,” who experimented on slaves, no longer on pedestal in NYC. NPR. Published April 17, 2018. Accessed September 24, 2026. NPR reportMartin M. J.C. Hallman discusses Say Anarcha, a book about experiments on enslaved women. NPR. Published July 28, 2023. Accessed September 24, 2026. NPR interview

  3. Sep 21

    Can you feel this?: OB Anesthesia

    For most of human history, women were expected to just suffer through childbirth.Labor pain was considered natural, necessary, and sometimes even a test of faith. But when anesthesia entered the delivery room, it sparked a massive debate: Was pain relief during childbirth a medical breakthrough—or somehow wrong? In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we’re tracing the surprisingly dramatic history of obstetric anesthesia, from ancient herbs and opium to ether, chloroform, “twilight sleep,” and eventually the epidural. And then we get into the science behind the needle in your back. 🫣 We’re talking about: 🩸 Where labor pain actually comes from—and why it changes throughout labor 🧠 Visceral vs. somatic pain and the nerves responsible for each 💨 Nitrous oxide, opioids, spinal anesthesia, epidurals, and general anesthesia 👑 Queen Victoria and the royal birth that helped change public attitudes toward pain relief 😵‍💫 The controversial “twilight sleep” movement—and why forgetting pain isn't necessarily the same as not experiencing it 💉 How we went from early spinal anesthesia to the modern epidural 🧬 What an epidural is actually doing to your nervous system ⚡ Epidural vs. spinal vs. combined spinal-epidural vs. dural puncture epidural 👶 How different forms of anesthesia affect—or don't significantly affect—the baby 🚨 Why general anesthesia is particularly challenging in pregnancy 🤰 Whether getting an epidural actually increases your chance of a C-section 🩺 Why epidurals sometimes fail or become one-sided …and why an epidural definitely does NOT mean someone is being “paralyzed.” Then, in our Ethics Autopsy, we ask: When does calling something “natural” become a justification for withholding treatment? And perhaps the bigger question: Why have we historically expected women to prove something by enduring childbirth pain that we would immediately treat in almost any other medical setting? Class is in session. 🩻 The Cadaver’s Lessons History of medicine → modern medicine → the weird, messy stuff in between. 🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials: https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons 📚 References NYSORA. Obstetric Regional Anesthesia.American Society of Anesthesiologists / PMC. Obstetric anesthesia review.AMA Journal of Ethics. The Influence of Social Values on Obstetric Anesthesia.Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing. Obstetric anesthesia and childbirth pain.Arizona State University Embryo Project. Twilight Sleep.PMC. History and development of obstetric anesthesia.American Family Physician. Pain Management in Labor.PMC. Historical perspectives on obstetric anesthesia.

  4. Sep 18 ·  Bonus

    Case File: James Barry: The Surgeon Who Lived as a Man for 56 Years

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What if one of the most remarkable surgeons in British military history lived under a carefully guarded identity for 56 years? Born Margaret Anne Bulkley in 1789, James Barry became a physician, military surgeon, and one of the earliest doctors associated with a successful Caesarean section in which both mother and child survived. But Barry’s story goes far beyond the mystery surrounding his identity. From improving sanitation and water systems to advocating for soldiers, prisoners, enslaved people, and other underserved populations, Barry repeatedly challenged the medical establishment—and the people in power. He was also famously difficult, confrontational, and quick-tempered. He fought duels, challenged military officials, and even crossed paths with Florence Nightingale. Then, after Barry’s death in 1865, a startling claim about his biological sex became public. So who was James Barry? Why did he live as a man for more than five decades? Could Barry have been intersex? And why has the mystery surrounding his identity often overshadowed his remarkable medical career? In this episode, we dig into the life, medicine, controversies, and enduring mystery of Dr. James Barry. Trigger warning: This episode discusses historical sexual assault, pregnancy, childbirth, death, and gender identity. 🩺 Class is in session. Stay curious. 📚 References  James Barry (surgeon). Wikipedia. Updated 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Barry_(surgeon)Holland B. The extraordinary secret life of Dr. James Barry. HISTORY. Published March 24, 2017. History.com articleQueen's University Belfast. [James Barry educational resource/PDF]. Queen's University Belfast. Queen's University Belfast PDFMedical Times and Gazette. 1865;[volume/page information from digitized archive]. Internet Archive. Internet Archive—Medical Times and GazetteUniversity of Edinburgh, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. James Barry. University of Edinburgh. University of Edinburgh—James Barry

  5. Sep 14

    Cutting Babies Out: The History & Medicine of C-Sections

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons What if one of the most common surgeries in modern medicine was once essentially a death sentence? A C-section means cutting through the abdomen, through the uterus, and into the place where a baby has been growing for nine months. But how did we go from ancient myths and desperate last-resort surgeries to more than a million C-sections performed in the US every year? We’re traveling from ancient mythology and Julius Caesar to 16th-century kitchen tables, anesthesia, antisepsis, and the surgical innovations that transformed childbirth. 📚 References  Sung S, Mikes BA, Martingano DJ, Mahdy H. Cesarean delivery. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; updated December 7, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546707/Mitchell B, Vaughn S, Veluri S. The history of the cesarean section. Academic Medicine & Surgery. Published September 1, 2024. doi:10.62186/001c.123289American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Cesarean birth. Updated May 2022. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/cesarean-birthNational Library of Medicine. Cesarean section—A brief history: Part 2. National Institutes of Health. Reviewed February 25, 2026. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/cesarean/part2.htmlAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Management of genital herpes in pregnancy. ACOG Practice Bulletin. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2020/05/management-of-genital-herpes-in-pregnancyPubMed. PMID: 8458172. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8458172/NCBI Bookshelf. NBK507844. National Library of Medicine. Accessed September 13, 2026. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507844/Wikipedia contributors. Jesse Bennett. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_BennettCarrino F. 100 years since the introduction of the Kerr technique. Presented at: University College Cork; 2026. https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/research/nationalperinatalepidemiologycentre/conference2026/Carrino_Francesca100yearssincetheintroductionoftheKerrtechnique.pdfNCBI Bookshelf. NBK493238. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493238/

  6. Sep 11 ·  Bonus

    Case File: Eugene Aserinsky & the Discovery of REM Sleep

    What if one of the biggest discoveries in sleep science happened because a scientist didn’t even want to study sleep? In this Case File, we follow Eugene Aserinsky—from an unconventional childhood and a string of failed career paths to a cramped University of Chicago sleep lab where he hooked electrodes up to his 8-year-old son and watched something strange happen. His son was completely asleep… but the machine showed his eyes moving as if he were awake. That bizarre observation would become the discovery of REM sleep, changing our understanding of what the sleeping brain is actually doing—and helping launch the modern science of sleep disorders and dreaming. But Aserinsky's story is far from a straightforward scientific success story. Poverty, family tragedy, professional disputes, and a lifelong battle over who deserved credit followed him throughout his career. Class is in session. The cadaver is on the table. 📚 ReferencesSmithsonian Magazine. The stubborn scientist who unraveled a mystery of the night. Smithsonian Magazine.Aserinsky E. REM sleep discovery and its impact on sleep research. PMC. 2023.Aserinsky E. The discovery of REM sleep. Semel Institute, UCLA. 1996.EBSCO. Aserinsky discovers REM sleep. Research Starters.

  7. Sep 7

    Nightmares, Night Terrors & Sleep Paralysis: When Sleep Goes Wrong

    Nightmares, Night Terrors & Sleep Paralysis: When Sleep Goes Wrong What if the thing sitting on your chest in the middle of the night… wasn’t a demon? For centuries, terrifying nighttime experiences were blamed on witches, demons, spirits, and creatures that supposedly climbed onto your chest and suffocated you. But what if these stories were actually attempts to explain something happening inside the sleeping brain? In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, we explore the strange world of nightmares, night terrors, and sleep paralysis—what they are, how they differ, and what happens physiologically when sleep and wakefulness collide. We travel from ancient Sumerian and Greek beliefs to the medieval incubus, the Old Hag, Jinn, Kanashibari, and other cultural explanations for sleep paralysis. Then we follow the evolution of sleep science through the discovery of EEGs, REM sleep, and our modern understanding of parasomnias. We’ll also break down: Why nightmares usually happen during REM sleepWhy night terrors can look terrifying but are often forgotten by the person experiencing themHow REM atonia can leave you awake but temporarily unable to moveWhy sleep deprivation, stress, shift work, and irregular sleep schedules can trigger sleep paralysisWhen these experiences become a medical disorderHow nightmares are treated, including imagery rehearsal therapyWhy you generally shouldn't try to wake someone during a night terrorAnd in our Ethics Autopsy, we ask some uncomfortable questions: What happens when a medical symptom becomes a moral judgment? And when medicine encounters a culturally specific explanation for a real physiological experience, should we correct the belief—or respect it? Because maybe humanity hasn't stopped believing in demons. Maybe we just gave them medical names. Class is in session. Cox AM. J R Soc Med. 2015;6(7):2054270415598091.Vernon A. Demons or Nightmares? A History of Night Terrors. 2024.de Sá JFR, Mota-Rolim SA. Front Psychol. 2016;7:1294.Cleveland Clinic. Parasomnias. 2025.Faccini J, Del-Monte J. Front Psychiatry. 2024;15:1461495.Medscape. Parasomnias. Accessed September 6, 2026.Leung AKC, et al. Curr Pediatr Rev. 2020;16(3):176-182.Schulz H, Salzarulo P. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(7):1041-1052.Silber MH. Sleep. 2024;47(1).Bhalerao V, et al. Cureus. 2024;16(7).Mythfolks. Sleep Paralysis Folklore. Accessed September 6, 2026.Wellcome Collection. Sleep Paralysis: A Brief History of Fear, Treatment and Artistic Creativity. 2016.Brown C. Smithsonian Magazine. 2003.Weir K. Monitor on Psychology. 2024;55(7).Medscape. Nightmare Disorder. Accessed September 6, 2026.Shumway KR, et al. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. 2026.Medscape. Sleep Paralysis. Accessed September 6, 2026.

  8. Sep 4 ·  Bonus

    Case File: Waverly Hills: Inside Americas Most Haunted Hospital

    🔗 Check out all our links, sources, and socials:https://linktr.ee/thecadaverslessons At the height of America’s tuberculosis epidemic, thousands were sent to Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky. Patients faced isolation, experimental treatments, and the constant fear of death. But Waverly Hills has another story—one filled with ghosts, legends, a notorious body chute, Room 502, and the mysterious child known as Timmy. What really happened inside America’s most haunted hospital? 📚 References  Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Wikipedia. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverly_Hills_SanatoriumKentucky Historic Institutions. WHS: Patient Death Index. Accessed September 3, 2026. Kentucky Historic Institutions — Waverly Hills Patient Death IndexWaverly Hills Sanatorium. About Us. Accessed September 3, 2026. Waverly Hills Sanatorium — About UsKentucky Historic Institutions. Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Accessed September 3, 2026. Kentucky Historic Institutions — Waverly Hills SanatoriumFrazier Kentucky History Museum. Independent Spirits, a Brief History of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Composer Rachel Grimes’s Film “Along the Way Forth,” and More. Published October 18, 2021. Accessed September 3, 2026. Frazier Kentucky History Museum — Waverly Hills SanatoriumUS Ghost Adventures. Hauntings of Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Published December 30, 2024. Accessed September 3, 2026. US Ghost Adventures — Hauntings of Waverly Hills SanatoriumRhoden G. Meet one of the few living patients from Waverly Hills Sanatorium's segregated ward. Louisville Public Media. Published March 2, 2026. Accessed September 3, 2026. Louisville Public Media — Waverly Hills' Segregated WardFanelli F. A Study of Forty-Three Patients Who Left Waverly Hills Sanatorium Against the Doctor's Advice During the Period September 1 Through December 31, 1942. University of Louisville; 1944. Master's thesis. University of Louisville Electronic Theses and DissertationsAdams MQ. Louisville's Dark Tourist: Liminality, Legend, and the Macabre. University of Louisville; 2020. Master's thesis. Paper 4255. doi:10.18297/etd/4255. University of Louisville Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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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
    78
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bernadette & Samantha Smith
  • Show Website
    The Cadaver's Lessons

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