Twist of Fate (and Spine)

Cures Worse Than the Disease

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2441663/open_sms] Step back into the bizarre world of historical medicine where the cures were often worse than the disease. In this episode, we explore some of the strangest and most dangerous medical practices in history: milk transfusions, Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup (yes, the one loaded with morphine), cocaine for hay fever, a whale hotel for rheumatism, and even John Wesley’s book of natural cures that claimed to treat almost everything. And of course, no tour of old-time medicine would be complete without a little bloodletting. These so-called “treatments” raise questions about how far medicine has come—and just how questionable it used to be. From patent medicines that preyed on desperate families to bizarre experimental therapies, we’ll uncover the weird, the dangerous, and the downright deadly side of medical history. Resources: https://www.science.org/content/article/ultimate-blood-substitute-us-military-betting-46-million https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/pharmacys-past-the-soothing-syrup-known-for-causing-death-in-thousands-of-babies- https://digirepo.nlm.nih.gov/ext/dw/101640177/PDF/101640177.pdf https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2022/04/10-strange-medical-practices-from-history/ https://ancientwarhistory.com/medieval-medicine-the-dark-ages-of-healthcare/ https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Primitive-Physick-14th-ed-1770.pdf Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2441663/support] Follow us @underthescrubspodcast on IG!

Ethics Shmethics

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2441663/open_sms] In this episode, we dive into the messy world of bioethics through two infamous cases: Henrietta Lacks and her immortal HeLa cells and the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. We unpack how a woman’s cells were taken without consent and changed medicine forever, while an unethical government study left hundreds of Black men untreated in the name of “research.” These stories raise tough questions about informed consent, racism in medicine, and the dark history of medical research in the United States. Resources:  https://www.britannica.com/science/HeLa-cellulture | Britannica https://www.biography.com/history-culture/henrietta-lacks https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/who-was-henrietta-lacks-heres-how-hela-cells-became-essential-to-medical-research https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-stolen-cells-of-henrietta-lacks-and-their-ongoing-contribution-to-science#A-lack-of-trust https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/timeline.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm https://www.history.com/articles/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2441663/support] Follow us @underthescrubspodcast on IG!

Take Three Hundred and Call Me in the Morning

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2441663/open_sms]  What happens when a doctor’s prescription pad becomes more powerful than a drug cartel? In this episode, we dive into the controversial story of Dr. William Hurwitz, the physician once dubbed a pioneer of pain management — and later accused of running what many called a pill mill. From handing out OxyContin, Percocet, and other narcotics like candy, to the legal firestorm that made him both a hero to chronic pain patients and a villain in the opioid crisis, we break down the blurred line between treatment and addiction. Was Dr. Hurwitz a reckless prescriber, a scapegoat for Big Pharma’s sins, or just the wrong doctor in the wrong era? Tune in as we explore the darkly comic side of America’s prescription drug epidemic.  Resources https://managingpain.org/2024/02/11/archive-physicians-under-fire-the-case-of-william-hurwitz-md/ https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/feb/22/rosalia-nurses-license-suspended-after-deaths/ https://www.nursys.com/LQC/LQCViewReport.aspx Dr Feelgood Documentary Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2441663/support] Follow us @underthescrubspodcast on IG!

Mythdiagnosis

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2441663/open_sms] Think raw milk is healthier? Heard sugar makes kids bounce off the walls? Still worried your deodorant or cell phone is giving you breast cancer? In this episode, we’re busting the most common medical myths that just won’t die. From the truth about detox supplements, cracking your knuckles and arthritis, to whether swallowing gum really sticks around in your stomach, we separate fact from fiction with science you can trust. We’ll also tackle if you can really die from a broken heart, and why cold weather doesn’t actually make you sick (spoiler: it’s the germs, not the temperature). Join us as we dive into the evidence, debunk health misinformation, and explain why these myths persist. If you’ve ever wondered about raw milk safety, kids and sugar, deodorant myths, cell phones in bras, detox fads, knuckle cracking, gum swallowing, broken heart syndrome, or cold weather colds, this episode is your one-stop myth-busting clinic. References https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/raw-milk-misconceptions-and-danger-raw-milk-consumption https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/medical-myths-does-sugar-make-children-hyperactive#Why-does-the-idea-persist https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-myths/carrying-a-phone-in-your-bra-can-cause-breast-cancer/ https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk.html https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/the-truth-about-detox-diets-and-cleanses https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-cracking-your-knuckles-bad-for-you https://www.livescience.com/health/does-gum-really-take-7-years-to-digest https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.055854 https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/exposure-to-cold-do-to-body Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2441663/support] Follow us @underthescrubspodcast on IG!

Twist of Fate (and Spine)

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2441663/open_sms] In this episode, we crack open the spine-tingling world of chiropractic care — and not just the vertebrae. We dive into the infamous Wilks lawsuit that put chiropractic practice under a legal spotlight, and how it shaped the profession’s fight for legitimacy. Then, we follow two real-world case studies where adjustments didn’t go quite as planned (spoiler: complications aren’t always “just a little sore tomorrow”). Finally, we dig into why chiropractic care still struggles with public trust, decades after “straightening out” its image. Is chiropractic the misunderstood underdog of healthcare… or just one crack away from controversy? Tune in and decide before your next adjustment. Resources: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/671/1465/2595129/ https://www.acatoday.org/news-publications/in-memoriam-wilk-v-ama-attorney-george-mcandrews/ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21033-chiropractic-adjustment https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0036-1597626 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6016850/ https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008880.pub2/full https://nationalpost.com/news/college-of-chiropractors-of-ontario-anti-vaccine Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2441663/support] Follow us @underthescrubspodcast on IG!