Shows
LeechFestMalaria: The Empire Strikes Back | LeechFest Ep 46This month we're talking about malaria! This episode is quite similar to our early ones, in that we take a disease, talk about its pathology/ treatment, the role it has played in history, and then look toward the future. None of this politics crap we've been doing lately, just pure, unadulterated medical history. Although, we do complain about imperialism and also people being racist towards the Chinese a bit, so perhaps just a bit of politics.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2024-04-081h 05
LeechFestAssassinations: Leftist Infighting | LeechFest Ep 45 Part 2This is the second part of our episode about assassinations! This episode turned out very leftism-centric, with Salem covering Trotsky and Mia going over the assassination of Kim Jong Nam. There is a healthy dose of history in this episode, not just of the assassinations themselves, but also of the important historical events leading up to the murders, so if you feel like you need a refresher on Soviet history, this episode is for you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2024-03-1145 min
LeechFestAssassinations: The Russian Devil | LeechFest Ep 45 Part 1Most often on this podcast we talk about people's attempts to preserve and improve health and wellbeing. This month, however, we are switching gears as we embark on a two parter covering three historical figures whose powerful enemies wanted them dead. In this first part, we introduce the term ''assassin'' and discuss its etymology, and take a look at the life and death of one of Russia's most infamous monks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2024-03-041h 01
LeechFestStockholm Syndrome | LeechFest Ep 44In this month's episode we tackle the concept of Stockholm Syndrome as follows: Mia talks about the original bank heist which led to the coinage of the term, and Salem follows up with another very famous case- that of Patricia 'Patty' Hearst. We briefly give our personal interpretation of both cases, after which we discuss some potential psychiatric explanations of the phenomenon: specifically that it's an inborn (yet conscious) response to particular types of intraspecies threats, and/or that it's an automatic response in the face of threat. Enjoy!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a...2024-02-121h 14
LeechFestBacteria? Eating MY Flesh? | LeechFest Ep 43A short and sweet episode for you this month- no mucking about with this one. We discuss flesh-eating bacteria, every tabloid's favourite germ to fear monger about. Salem covers the medical and biomedical part, specifically what causes flesh-eating disease, how the disorder manifests and what to expect if you end up having it, and Mia talks about how we came to learn more about this condition (and also delivers a long rant about medical doctors half-assing the history section in their papers). Enjoy!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://a...2024-01-0451 min
LeechFestPaws, Pills and Progress: Animal Models in Research | LeechFest Ep 42This month's episode focuses on the history of the use of animals in medical science. We start out with an overview of currently available study models, and a short discussion of why animal models remain irreplaceable at this point in time. Mia goes on into the history of animal use in research, with a special focus on the development of ethical considerations. Trigger warning here! There is some talk about animal torture. To round off the episode, we discuss some very exciting, rapidly developing technologies, specifically organoids (2023-12-121h 29
LeechFestSpookysode 4: I Want To Believe | LeechFest Ep 41In this year's second Spookysode, we discuss the Dyatlov Pass incident, which refers to the mysterious death of nine experienced hikers in the Ural Mountains in 1959, as well as the phenomenon of alien abductions, focusing on the case of Betty and Barney Hill. Were the deaths of Igor Dyatlov and his schoolmates caused by a weather phenomenon, a freak accident, or perhaps something a lot more disturbing? And is there any stock in alien abduction reports? Listen to find out!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy...2023-11-201h 59
LeechFestSpookysode 3: Cursed Content and Real Curses | LeechFest Ep 40We are back just in time for Halloween with a spooky, spooky episode. This year, we've got for you the story of Karl Tänzler, who may be our least favourite scientist, and that of King Tut's curse. Enjoy, and happy Halloweeeeen!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-10-311h 49
LeechFestTyphoid: Wash Your Dang Hands | LeechFest Ep 39In this episode we discuss typhoid fever and our new favourite scrappy lady: Typhoid Mary. We talk about the bacteria and why it's a lame pathogen, as well as it's mechanism of pathogenicity and infection, and then discuss what caused typhoid plagues and the way we've dealt with it previously. Lastly, we go over the story of Typhoid Mary, and even touch on some of the ethics surrounding her case. Enjoy!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-08-1456 min
LeechFestBugs as Drugs | LeechFest Ep 38In this episode we discuss the use of bugs (insects, arthropods, and the like) in medicine and medical research. Specifically, Mia serves us an overview of historical medical treatments using insect pulps and mashes, and Salem covers the modern use of bugs in medicine and research. As you may have heard, maggots are huge in wound treatment, but perhaps more surprisingly, helminths and spiders are also of interest to medical professionals/researchers. We also briefly mention leeches, though we don't spend too much time on them since we've already talked about their properties in the Organ Transplantation episode, so...2023-07-031h 04
LeechFestDog Bites and Bat Lesions | LeechFest Ep 37This month we're coming at you with another good ol' Standard Format Episode, this time discussing rabies! In the medical part of the episode, we discuss the virus' sneaky mode of action and the resulting clinical presentation, after which we transition to the history part, in which Mia tells us about the various interpretations people have had about the virus throughout history and the ways they've dealth with infected people (hint: not kindly). Lastly, we discuss current rabies management and glimpse into potential future treatment options. Enjoy!Art: Louis Pasteur, with two white rabbits in his arms...2023-04-171h 08
LeechFestCrushes and Collapses | LeechFest Ep 36Buildings collapsing and health risks! Very different episode from our usual, but we figured it'd be interesting to talk about natural disasters and how they affect human health, and what better point to start than earthquakes. We do also mention terrorism at points just because terrorism can obviously also lead to buildings collapsing, which in turn can lead to all of the same health consequences, but our main focus is earthquakes. In the episode, we go over the health risks of getting trapped in a collapsed building (both some obvious, and less obvious ones), then talk about how earthquakes...2023-03-271h 23
LeechFestEating Disorders | LeechFest Ep 35 Part 2In the second part of Episode 35, we look at how eating disorders started transitioning from being seen as a spiritual calling to being seen as a medical condition. The medical establishment struggled with that one for a while, it turns out, with EDs being considered a result of an imbalance of the humours, a secondary symptom of other mental illnesses, an endocrinological disorder, and lastly, a subconscious fear of becoming pregnant. Lastly, we look at a few up and coming eating disorders, specifically muscularity-oriented disordered eating and orthorexia.P.S. At about minute 42, Salem says 'there are...2023-03-061h 01
LeechFestEating Disorders | LeechFest Ep 35 Part 1We're back! We're starting this year strong with a two-parter, about eating disorders no less. In the first section, we go over a few common eating disorder types, epidemiology and potential causes, both genetic and psychosocial. Mia then takes a look at eating disorders in early history, and we talk about how 'disordered eating' is dependent on the current view on 'normal eating' as well as the role that food played in the lives of people of different social classes and of different religious beliefs.Art: White Soup Bowl by Anne Coster Vallayer 17712023-02-131h 08
LeechFestBreast Cancer | LeechFest Ep 34Cancer is a tough topic for a lot of us but, as it's a major cause of mortality and morbidity, as well as a fascinating topic both in terms of medical science and history, we've been wanting to make an episode about it for a while. We chose to start out with breast cancer because it's a well known and common cancer type, both now and throughout history.Salem talks about cancer generally, how it develops, some risk factors for breast cancer specifically and then a few broad breast cancer categories. Mia talks about how treatment evolved...2022-12-191h 38
LeechFestComas | LeechFest Ep 33 Part 2Here is Part 2 of episode 33! Make sure to listen to Part 1 before you embark on the second part, in which we talk about ethics and future developments in the field!Image: Vincent Desiderio, Sleep (detail; 2008)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-11-2841 min
LeechFestComas | LeechFest Ep 33 Part 1This month's episode is about comas and follows what we call the Standard Format, where Salem starts off by giving a medical intro to whatever we're talking about, Mia talks about the history of comas, and the rest of the episode is a free for all (in this case we're talking about challenges when it comes to coma diagnosis and treatment, developments like machine learning, ethics and common misconceptions).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-11-211h 02
LeechFestSpookysode 2: The Angel of Death and the Tylenol Terrorist | LeechFest Ep 32This month for the Halloween special we have two very scary, medically adjacent stories; that of a man eventually dubbed the Angel of Death, and that of the Tylenol Terrorist.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-10-311h 20
LeechFestKetamine | LeechFest Ep 31Ketamine, in addition to being widely used as a fast-acting anaesthetic, is also considered to have a lot of potential in curing treatment-resistant depression and drug and alcohol addiction. In this episode we talk about ketamine and its current uses, how it got to be such a popular anaesthtic, recreational use and potential future applications. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-10-101h 11
LeechFestThe Pox of the Monkey | LeechFest Ep 30This month's episode is about monkeypox. We talk about the virus, symptoms, transmission, a brief history and its links with the LGBTQ community, as well as a look into the future. Is it the next HIV epidemic? Is it the next Covid? Listen to find out!P.S. In the treatment section, Salem states that there are no approved treatments specifically for monkeypox, and rather that there are certain antivirals that were initially developed for smallpox that are also used in some cases for the treatment of monkeypox. In fact, Tecovirimat was licensed by the EMA as...2022-09-121h 08
LeechFestTorture, Pain and Thumbscrews | LeechFest Ep 29This month's episode is about torture and it's a bit different than the usual in that it's a bit more on the legal rather than the medical side. We start out by talking briefly about the history of torture, mostly focusing on its legality and use and then talk about torture today, and some specific examples.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-08-221h 16
LeechFestPride Special: Be Gay Do Crime | LeechFest Ep 28Happy pride! In this episode we talk about the history of homosexuality, mostly how it was different from homosexuality today and how it was viewed in society. We also talk about the role that psychology played in its pathologization and the gay rights movement. Send us stuff to our PO box at:Mia MulderFrejgatan 13,114 79 Stockholm, SwedenSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-07-181h 21
LeechFestOrgan transplantation | LeechFest Ep 27We've talked about blood transfusions, now it's time for its sister field: organ transplantations! Just like blood transfusions relied on ABO compatibility to work, organ transplantation scientists ran into the issue of immune system compatibility- something that is still giving us trouble. We talk about how the field evolved through time, and how the discovery of immunosuppressants contributed to safer transplants- kinda. We also discuss sketchy practices and practitioners, and the future of transplants in the form of immune cells, biopolymers or perhaps xenotransplants.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...2022-06-271h 25
LeechFestPrions | LeechFest Ep 26Prions: what are they, how they were discovered, and what's their link with cannibalism? We talk about all of that in this month's episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-06-061h 09
LeechFestBlood Transfusions | Leechfest Ep 25People have always known that blood plays an integral role in health and disease, and have developed lots of treatments around blood, including bloodletting. However, they quickly figured out that while getting blood out is easy, putting blood back in is a lot more difficult, partly because of the complexity of the circulatory system, because of a lack of tools, and lastly, because blood has a tendency to turn bad when you mix it improperly. But all is ahead: the field of transfusion medicine has much in store, plastic blood may become a reality in the future....2022-05-161h 13
LeechFestOpium and the Opium Wars | LeechFest Ep 24In this episode we talk about opium (the OG drug) - how it works, how it's cultivated and how it spread in early history, as well as its political relevance in the 19th century.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-04-251h 09
LeechFestWares, Drugs and Stuff | LeechFest Ep 23This month we are joined by Patrick Kelly, with whom we discuss the origins of pharmacy and the development of patent laws. We start out by going over the early roots of pharmacy and how the field evolved over time and eventually separated from medicine. Mia goes over some important public health disasters that led to the introduction of the stricter pharma regulations we have today, and lastly, we discuss how we came to implement patent law in regards to chemicals and medicine.Here is Patrick's physiology Youtube channel and his medical history channel. Check them out!2022-04-041h 33
LeechFestLeprosy | LeechFest Ep 22In this month's episode we talk about leprosy: the bacteria that cause it and how exactly they cause the disease, as well as the genetic risk factors involved (did you know that there is some overlap in the disease-causing pathways in leprosy and Alzheimer's?). We also cover the origin of the bacteria and their spread, early and modern treatments (wait till you hear about this one), leper colonies and eradication. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-03-141h 08
LeechFestBiowarfare | LeechFest Ep 21Today we're talking about biowarfare. We do a quick overview and go through some early uses of bioweapons, then Mia talks about instances of biowarfare in WWI and WWII. This episode Salem also gets to talk about conspiracy theories, this time around bioweapons with a focus on Covid. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-02-2156 min
LeechFestSTIs: Syphilis | LeechFest Ep 20Syphilis! How does it work, where does it come from, and why the heck did 20th century doctors infect syphilitic patients with malaria? We talk about this, and more, in this month's episode. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2022-01-311h 14
LeechFestAbortion | LeechFest Ep 19This month we are talking about (unfortunately) a topical subject. We start out by going over the early history of abortion, specifically what methods were used in antiquity up until the Middle Ages as well as its legal status/ social acceptance. Mia then takes over and discusses the legality of abortion in the modern era, and then shifts focus to Roe v Wade (what it is, its importance and current perspectives). We then discuss abortion access in the United States and Poland. P.S. Joseph Stalin makes a surprise appearance. LeechFest Early Access Feed2022-01-101h 28
LeechFestNarcotics in Medicine: Magic Mushrooms | LeechFest Ep 18Magic mushrooms! What are they and what do they do to the body? We talk about this, as well as their history of use, modern use and finally, the piece de resistance: a clinical study on their therapeutic use against treatment resistant depression (TRD) published in November. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-12-201h 05
LeechFestNosejobs and Flesh Artistry | LeechFest Ep 17This month we tackle the topic of plastic surgery:we talk about where and how rhinoplasties developed, how the original flap method changed through time, as well as how military conflict led to plastic surgery becoming an established subfield of medicine. We also manage to talk trans healthcare in the form of Michael Dillon - a trans man whose beard and accomplishments impress us to this day.Image: Jean Baptiste Marc Bourgery and Nicholas Henri Jacob, ‘Iconografia d'anatomia chirurgica e di medicina operatoria,’ Florence, 1841. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for priv...2021-11-2959 min
LeechFestBigotry in Healthcare | LeechFest Ep 16In this episode we tackle the topic of discrimination in healthcare. Specifically, we talk about how healthcare has been inaccessible to people of colour and women and also about how that history of inaccessibility has created an environment where those groups are not represented in the healthcare industry nor get appropriate healthcare. We mention the Flexner report, lack of diversity in research, and the act of psychologizing pain and illness, as well as a small sprinkle of queer history in the form of James Barry.Credit: Edel Rodriguez LeechFest Early Access Feed See...2021-11-081h 03
LeechFestSpookysode 1 | LeechFest Ep 15It's our first Halloween special! How could we not do a special episode to commemorate what is arguably the world's best holiday? In this episode Mia tells us about the history of body snatching and how it became a profitable business for two very savvy entrepreneurs in Scotland in 1828. We also touch on the various ways in which 19th century people would protect their relatives' bodies from body snatchers as well as discuss the practice of body snatching now. Mia even manages to explain who the heck the anti-Pope was and all the confusion that came out of having multiple...2021-10-181h 18
LeechFestMass Hysteria | LeechFest Ep 14This month's episode is about mass psychogenic illness, more commonly known as mass hysteria. We primarily focus on 2 examples from history, specifically the Dancing Plague as well as some instances of hysteria in religious institutions in the 16th century. We also cover a few modern examples just to show that this phenomenon can still happen and that it can take rather mild forms, so it doesn't always look like the 'typical' dramatic mass hysteria event.The image is a portrait of a 16th-century nun in Poland, by Jadwiga Radomyski. LeechFest Early Access Feed...2021-09-271h 02
LeechFestNarcotics in Medicine: LSD | LeechFest Ep 13In this episode we talk about the ridiculous history behind the discovery and popularization of LSD, (briefly) about how it works as well as its applications in clinical settings. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-09-061h 02
LeechFestChernobyl's Spicy Rocks Episode | LeechFest Ep 12In this episode we talk about the Chernobyl catastrophe, specifically what went wrong and how the resulting radioactivity affected the surrounding area. We take up the short-term and long-term health consequences and we even talk about the seemingly thriving animal populations in the present. Are they really as healthy and happy as is often pointed out? Are the boar LIVING, or are they just...living? LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-08-161h 25
LeechFestSpace medicine | LeechFest Ep 11In this episode discuss the (unfortunate) origins of space medicine. We also discuss the differences between a space environment and the Earth environment, as well as the effects these differences have on the human body. We also talk about the measures astronauts have to take in order to minimize damage on the body. Lastly, we talk about what's keeping us from exploring the deep space and also the contributions space medicine has had on earth medicine.The image represents the first astronaut class introduced by NASA on April 9, 1959. Front row, left to right: Walter M. Schirra...2021-07-261h 11
LeechFestNeurodiversity in History | LeechFest Ep 10This month we tackle to topic of neurodiversity throughout history, focusing on autism. We start out by looking at how the term came to be and at how the etiology autism changed through time, and later we dive into some interesting myths connected to autism. Changelings, for example, were a major element of European folklore, and were believed to be non-humans/ fairies which were switched out for healthy babies, and which could be identified by their 'atypical' behavior or appearance. Aliens, and Indigo Children are other examples of tropes used in connection with autism. Lastly, we look at a...2021-07-051h 09
LeechFestThe Islamic Golden Age | LeechFest Ep 9In this episode we discuss the Islamic Golden Age, specifically the factors that led to the scientific advances in the Islamic world, the contribution of Islamic teachings to the way Islamic scientists developed their ideas, as well as the specific contributions of the Islamic world to science and medicine. How did medical education look like? What kind of treatments did Islamic physicians employ in the hospitals? In what field of medicine did Muslim doctors excel in?The cover art for this episode is a painting of al-Razi, coming from Science Museum Group, in the United Kingdom.2021-06-141h 11
LeechFestThe Opioid Epidemic | LeechFest Ep 8This podcast is no stranger to major epidemics. We've already covered the Spanish Flu and the Black Death. But what if we told you that the epidemic currently devastating American health has not been caused by a virus or bacteria at all, but rather by a poor understanding of pain and addiction, insufficient regulations surrounding medications and the greed of a pharmaceutical giant? Note: We are not entirely accurate when we mention benzodiazepines at the end. They are anti-psychotics, not painkillers. Benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed together with opioids as they can alleviate psychiatric co-morbidities in patients...2021-05-031h 08
LeechFestMedieval Medicine and Witchcraft | LeechFest Ep 7We've been on a medieval kick lately! We mentioned plague doctors in the previous episode but there was so much more to medieval medicine than those beaked freaks. In this episode, we take a look at sickness and health between approximately 8th and 15th century in Europe. We talk about medical practitioners and the methods they would employ, and also look at how the practice changed over time. This episode is also very female-focused, so we talk about female healers and some reasons why they would get accused of witchcraft. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy...2021-04-131h 31
LeechFestThe Black Death: the Worst Epidemic in History | LeechFest Ep 6As a medical history podcast, we can't not talk about the Black Death. Frankly, we're surprised it's taken us 6 episodes to get to it. We talk bacteria (and a few other prominent theories for the plague), discuss plague doctors (obvs) and Mia reveals she is a proponent of the miasma theory. In addition, we play a little game of Would you survive the Plague? LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...2021-04-121h 13
LeechFestEugenics and Scientific Racism | LeechFest Ep 5In this episode we talk about eugenics as a movement throughout history, as well as its scientific foundations and consequences. Did you know that while most people think of eugenics as a thing of the past, it continues to be a topic of controversy, with people advocating for liberal eugenics as a means for disease management and /or individual enhancement. We delve into what constitutes modern eugenics and how the image of eugenics has changed over time. Or has it?The cover image is an Eugenics Society poster (1930s) from the Wellcome Library Eugenics Society Archive.2021-03-221h 08
LeechFestVaccines and the Anti-Vaxx Movement | LeechFest Ep 4In this episode we talk about the origins of the modern vaccine i.e. variolation and also the different types of vaccines available today. We also go over the mRNA vaccine and cover some of the more common concerns people have about it. Lastly, we talk about the history of the anti-vaxx movement and how it looks in the present day. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-03-011h 19
LeechFestEmperors and Inbreeding | LeechFest Ep 3We talk about the practice of incest in the royal houses of Europe, which is a conversation that of course has to include The Jaw. We also talk about the Russian Empire, and about how hemophilia may have been the straw that broke the Romanov's dynasty's back. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-02-081h 25
LeechFestThe Spanish Flu | LeechFest Ep 2The Spanish flu was one of the most deadly pandemics in recent history. What a fun thing to banter about, discuss and draw modern comparisons to! Hope you like it! LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-01-181h 39
LeechFestMental Health and Asylums | LeechFest Ep 1It's the first episode of LeechFest! In this episode we talk about asylums, mental health and Daddy Dukesberry.This month we go through a summary of early mental illness history and mental health treatments, talk about who were seen as "insane" and why asylums got built by the hundreds in the 19th century. LeechFest Early Access Feed See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-01-021h 24