Hello, poison friends! Hoping you are well this weekend! We need to discuss the history of biowarfare and the agents that have been used both historically and recently. Before that discussion, however, we need to go over some microbiology and the history of illness (bacterial and viral), germ theory, and such. So lets take a dive into some infectious diseases (plague, smallpox, botulism, anthrax, etc.), where they came from, what they can do the body, and how they have been used in war and...

Hello poison friends! We are bringing you two nasty nerve agents by the name of Sarin and Novichok. We have talked about nerve agents before but not these two meanies. Lets explore where they came from and their affects on the human body, as well as why they were made in the first place. We also have to go over their history and use in warfare and terrorism. Some of you may recall hearing the names of these too in somewhat recent years (yes, I am delusional enough to still call the 90s...

Hello Poison friends! I hope all of you had a wonderful week! We are bringing y'all two requested poison topics and learning how too much of a good thing can be deadly. That being said, don't eat too much candy this weekend, spooky friends. Fluoride has been a controversial topic as it is included in the water supply in many places to prevent dental problems. Lets discuss how it does this and at what point ingesting fluoride can be a problem. Also, insulin is a very important hormone in...

Hello, poison pals! We are bringing you an episode of the spooky and supernatural today! Let's discuss how poisons have influenced and played an important role in various spiritual and witchy ways. We are bringing witches and witch trials back up to discuss the once popular idea of Flying Ointment (or Witches Ointment), its possible ingredients, and its proposed effects on the body and soul (according to those accusing others of witchcraft). We are also talking about goofer dust (commonly...

Hello, poison fans! This episode we are discussing the aftermath of the accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, both immediate and later. Radiation Sickness is no joke and what these people went through was horrible. We will discuss some of the people we mentioned in the previous episode and what became of them as well as what happened to Pripyat its residents. That radioactive cloud that arose from the destroyed reactor 4? Yeah it traveled and it was not until radiation was picked up by...

Hello my poison friends! It is time we discuss some abandoned towns out there that have been made uninhabitable by toxic materials. We've talked a little about Wittenoom in Australia during our talk on Asbestos, but what about the multiple abandoned lead mines and the town basically sitting on hell? And we can't have this episode without discussing what happened at Chernobyl and the surrounding city of Pripyat. This will be a 2 parter because of the amount of info surrounding the latter, but...

Hey Y'all! We are back! Thank you all so much for your patience and support and messages and comments! Y'all are the best, and we are excited to be back. It is officially spooky season and we have a lot we can cover! Today we are discussing some creepy trees with even creepier folklore. Not all of these trees are poisonous, but they are all either dangerous or infamous. I hope 'yew' all enjoy! Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/thepoisonersalmanac...

Hey poison pals! This one is a bit longer than usual, so bear with us (beer with us?). We are tackling alcohol (ethanol vs methyl alcohol) and the Prohibition of the 1920s/30s in the US. Alcohol is a toxin and we can't not discuss its effects on the body and on culture as well as the effects of methyl/wood alcohol which blinded and killed many during the Prohibition. Also, come learn how the American government was involved in the poisoning of its citizens during this time (seriously big...

Hello my poison friends. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Lets go back in time on this Friday 13th (we recorded yesterday lol so technically it was Friday 13 then) so we can pull apart some long believed myths concerning the involvement of a few powerful families and poisons (among other accusations). I do love a good history lesson and these are a wild ride through rumors of witchcraft and poisoning, toxic relationships, religious wars, and murder. I will be making mentions of a...

Poison friends! Today's episode is all about food adulteration (drinks and some medicine/supplements as well) that was taking place in the 1800s-early 1900s (even some more recent scandals). My biggest source for this episode was Deborah Blum's The Poison Squad, which I highly recommend (her other book, The Poisoner's Handbook is also great). It follows scientists (namely one, Dr. Harvey Wiley) and their allies in the fight to protect consumers from food processors and corporations who were...

Hello friends, I do hope you are all well and ready for some toxic facts and tales. I wanted to discuss a little bit about how addictive substances effect the brain/body, especially some specific ones I know you've heard of as well as a few more lesser known substances found in various cultures around the world. Trigger warning for addiction (we are discussing cocaine and nicotine--as found in tobacco products but also pure nicotine as a poison. I find the history of these plants fascinating...

Hello, Hello! I hope this weekend brings you all some rest. In this episode we are discussing some "miner" details of asbestos...okay that was dumb, but seriously, asbestos was once mined and used for the production of building materials and other products around the world (still is in some parts) and we just need to discuss the toxic effects it has had/has on the body. Also I feel like we have not given much attention to two special gases that can be deadly in their own right if...

Hello, Hello! This one is a bit longer than the usual episode, but I wanted to actually finish everything I had planned, Starting off with what was left out of last weeks episode, Colchicine. Then we dive into the wild world of anesthesia and paralytics that are known for their use during surgery/procedures but have also had a rough history recreationally and criminally. We discuss such famous cases as the deaths of Michael Jackson and Matthew Perry, as well as that of Elijah McClain, who...

I know what you are thinking: What in the world do veronal and visine have to do with eachother? Well, they both begin with V, and I was going to discuss a third medicine in this episode called colchicine, which kinda rhymes with visine, but well, I got too excited during my research and there just was not enough time in the episode for that last one. No worries, though, I will be covering it next week alongside whatever else we bring to you. Anyway, veronal and a chemical found in visine...

Hey poison pals! Want to thank all of you for listening as well as our monthly supporters, Karl Zeigler Jr, and Taylor McCaleb! You guys rock and we are so thankful. This week's episode nearly didn't happen because of so much life interference and even during the recording you'll notice that Adam had to go into work after the first half, so sorry if the intro feels a bit rushed! This week I wanted to discuss some common remedies of old that we still use as well as a more modern opiod...

Hello, poison pals! Here is the conclusion of the radium girls and their fight for justice. Radium is only one of the many poisons that have been used industrially and workers rights to know and protect themselves are probably newer than you think. We also discuss a bit about how the cleanup of these materials is going and the effects radium exposure even in the form of waste has had on the surrounding residents of these towns. Radium while "beautiful" as Marie Curie once called it, is also...

Hello poison-philes, here is part 2 of Radium. I hope you guys are ready for some drama inside and outside of the court as these girls fight for their lives and for justice as the radium literally eats away at them. Radium is obviously not the miracle people once thought it was and here we will review how it operates in the human body as well as it's history in industry and medicine. These girls's cases would lead to great change, though many of them would not live to see it. Also, Adam has...

Hello my poison pals, I hope all of you are well and ready for a tale of radioactive proportions. We've discussed a bit about polonium recently and I think it is time we brought up Radium in all it's toxic glory. It had a unique place in history as it's discovery was thought to be miraculous. Lets discuss some of those who found it anything but that. I had to make this into parts as there was just too much information for one episode, and be warned: you will feel things. Thanks again for...

Hello, my favorite poison peoples! We are discussing a persistent pollutant and a couple of nasty elements with some glowing qualities. Get ready for some history, science, mystery, and intrigue as we dive into the discovery of these killers and how they have been used to poison, destroy, and assassinate. As, always follow us and leave us some feedback, we always love hearing from y'all! Follow us on socials: The Poisoner's Almanac on...

Hello, poison pals! Let's dig into some poisons you may have never heard of. Many of these had their moment in the past, but still exist and are just as lethal, so be careful out there. Also, y'all know I love some history and folklore, so get ready for some story time with toxins as we delve into some feisty foliage. Also, we love hearing from y'all so let us know if you've heard of or seen these lovelies! Follow us on socials: The Poisoner's Almanac on...

Hey poison pals! Becca, here. This episode, I give Adam three real cases to see how well he's been listening and if he can guess the poison involved in each case. Feel free to guess as you listen as well, but be aware it can get tricky. Don't worry, I will be discussing new poisons in the next episode, but let us know if you like this format, too and we can do it again sometime. Stay hydrated and poison-free! --- Support this podcast:...

Becca, here! This episode, we discuss where the deadly poison ricin comes from, as well as how it has been used historically and (of course) criminally. For some reason, there has been the occasional ricin in the mail incident and of course we'll discuss those, as well as other terroristic/killer intentions (and spies! we can't leave out spies in this case). We also talk about Abrin (a similar poison) bc no one talks about it much and I imagine that would hurt its feelings (FOMO anyone?)....

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The terms 'venomous' and 'poisonous' mean different things which is why this episode is separate from the last one. There are venomous caterpillars. Yep, you read that right. There are caterpillars that have just had it and they're coming for us. I mean, you could probably outrun one because they're not that fast, but what if it's a surprise attack like they dive bomb onto your shoulder from the tree branch where they've been plotting you're demise for months and on the way down they scream...