In this episode of The Cadaver’s Lessons, hosts B and Sam tackle the complex—and often deeply misunderstood—history of HIV and AIDS. From the medical basics to the societal fallout, this conversation centers on why understanding these conditions requires more than just science.

The episode opens with a clear breakdown of what HIV is, how it’s transmitted, and how it differs from AIDS, laying the groundwork for a discussion that extends far beyond physiology. B and Sam explore how fear, misinformation, and a lack of medical understanding fueled stigma during the height of the epidemic—and how that stigma continues to impact patients today.

The hosts examine how blame was historically assigned to marginalized communities, particularly the LGBTQ+ population and people who use intravenous drugs, and how those narratives shaped public policy, healthcare access, and patient outcomes. They emphasize the critical role of a supportive, informed healthcare system, where trust between providers and patients can mean the difference between isolation and survival.

This episode is a reminder that medicine does not exist in a vacuum—and that the legacy of HIV and AIDS is as much about compassion, accountability, and advocacy as it is about virology.

Remember main episodes drop on Mondays and companion case files drop Fridays, thanks for listening!

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
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📚 References

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2024). HIV and AIDS. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
2. National Institutes of Health, HIVinfo. (2025, January 14). HIV treatment basics.
3. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2024). Title of the work from NBK539787
4. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. (2025, July 10). Global HIV & AIDS statistics — Fact sheet.
5. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Pneumocystis pneumonia – HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections.
6. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2024). Title of the work from NBK441877
7. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Cryptococcosis – HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections.
8. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2024).
9. University of California, San Francisco. (2021, June). 40 years of AIDS: A timeline of the epidemic.
10. amfAR. (n.d.). Snapshots of an epidemic: HIV/AIDS.
11. History.com Editors. (2025, May 28). How AIDS remained an unspoken — but deadly — epidemic for years. History.

In this episode of The Cadaver’s Files, hosts B and Sam dig into one of the most frightening public health crises in U.S. history: the 1916 polio epidemic. Centered on New York City, the conversation explores how a mysterious and highly contagious disease spread rapidly, primarily affecting children and triggering nationwide panic.

At a time when little was understood about disease transmission, polio exposed deep flaws in public health infrastructure and fueled fear-driven responses. B and Sam unpack the competing theories about how polio spread, the extreme measures taken to contain it, and how misinformation and uncertainty shaped public behavior.

The episode also examines the social and political consequences of the epidemic, including the scapegoating of marginalized communities, underreporting of cases due to fear of quarantine, and the role class and racial tensions played in shaping public health policy. Through this historical lens, the hosts connect past epidemics to modern conversations about disease, fear, and responsibility.

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.
Follow along, stay curious, and remember—

In the absence of answers -

panic becomes its own contagion.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
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📚 References

1. Henningfeld, D. A. (2022). Great polio epidemic. EBSCO Research Starters. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/great-polio-epidemic

2. New York (N.Y.). Department of Health. (1916). A monograph on the epidemic of poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis) in New York City. (Accessible via Google Books). Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=yDnQAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=1916+New+York+City+polio+epidemic&ots=Ff3Uue79l5&sig=nYjaws6f_MK5j5YDIQo2RwF7OXY#v=onepage&q=1916%20New%20York%20City%20polio%20epidemic&f=false

Polio once terrorized families and reshaped modern public health. In this episode of Cadaver’s Lessons, we explore the long and chilling history of poliomyelitis—from its origins in ancient Egypt to the devastating U.S. outbreaks of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

We discuss how polio spread, why children were most affected, the life-saving role of the iron lung, and the race to develop one of medicine’s greatest achievements: the polio vaccine. We also examine the long-term effects faced by survivors and why polio, though largely controlled, is not fully eradicated today.

A powerful look at fear, survival, and the ongoing importance of vaccination.

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.
Follow along, stay curious, and remember—

Medicine has the last word.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
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Class is dismissed.

📚 References

1. Wolbert, J. G., Rajnik, M., Swinkels, H. M., & Higginbotham, K. (2024). Poliomyelitis. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558944
2. Parkinson, G. (2026). The grey matter of the spinal cord. TeachMeAnatomy. Retrieved from https://teachmeanatomy.info/neuroanatomy/structures/spinal-cord-grey-matter/
3. Global Polio Eradication Initiative. (n.d.). History of polio: Key milestones & global eradication. Retrieved from https://polioeradication.org/about-polio/history-of-polio/
4. Spinal Cord Team. (2020, December 04). Grey matter vs white matter in the brain. SpinalCord.com. Retrieved from https://www.spinalcord.com/blog/gray-matter-vs-white-matter-in-the-brain
5. Henningfeld, D. A. (2022). Great polio epidemic. EBSCO Research Starters. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/great-polio-epidemic
6. Wolbert, J. G., Rajnik, M., Swinkels, H. M., & Higginbotham, K. (2024). Poliomyelitis. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

ECT & The Nazis

Welcome to The Cadaver’s Lesson, a podcast exploring the strange, fascinating, and unsettling history of medicine. In this episode, we confront one of the darkest chapters in psychiatric history: the rise of electroconvulsive therapy—and its transformation under the Nazi regime from a medical treatment into a mechanism of control.

Developed in 1938 as a therapy for severe psychiatric illness, ECT was initially seen as a breakthrough. But in Nazi Germany, psychiatry was reframed through the ideology of racial hygiene, where mental illness was no longer something to treat, but something to eradicate. Under these policies, ECT became less about healing and more about enforcement—used not only in hospitals, but within concentration camps themselves.

We explore how medical professionals operated in a system where the line between therapy and execution was deliberately blurred. Some physicians attempted to use ECT as genuine treatment, even in the camps. Others participated willingly in practices that violated every principle of medical ethics. Together, these stories reveal how easily medicine can be reshaped by power, fear, and ideology.

By revisiting the history of ECT under Nazism, we honor those who were silenced—and remind ourselves why understanding medical history matters. Because progress without memory is dangerous, and awareness is the first safeguard against repetition.

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.
Follow along, stay curious, and remember—

Some medical treatments are remembered not for the suffering they relieved…
but for the suffering they revealed.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
📲 Follow us on Instagram @the_cadavers_lessons & TikTok @the.cadavers.lessons

Class is dismissed.

📚 References

1. For the Museum Project MUSE article:
Czech, H., Ungvari, G. S., Uzarczyk, K., Weindling, P., & Gazdag, G. (2020). Electroconvulsive therapy in the shadow of the gas chambers: Medical innovation and human experimentation in Auschwitz. Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 94(2), 244–266. https://doi.org/10.1353/bhm.2020.0036

2. For the PMC (PubMed Central) article:
Rzesnitzek, L., & Lang, S. (2017). ‘Electroshock therapy’ in the Third Reich. Medical History, 61(1), 66–88. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5206950/

Charged: Inside Electroconvulsive Therapy

Medicine has always been willing to push boundaries.
And some treatments carry scars long after the science evolves.

Welcome to The Cadaver’s Lesson, a podcast exploring the strange, fascinating, and unsettling history of medicine. In this episode, we trace the evolution of ECT from its earliest, often brutal applications to modern practices that prioritize patient safety. Along the way, we discuss why ECT became so controversial, how media portrayals cemented its reputation, and why—despite everything—it remains one of the most effective treatments for severe, treatment-resistant depression, often producing rapid symptom improvement.

The conversation also explores the science of the brain itself, and how this knowledge has opened the door to emerging treatments like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.
Follow along, stay curious, and remember—
Progress demands accountability.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
📲 Follow us on Instagram @the_cadavers_lessons & TikTok @the.cadavers.lessons

Class is dismissed.

📚 References

1. Gazdag, G., & Ungvari, G. S. (2019). Electroconvulsive therapy: 80 years old and still going strong. World Journal of Psychiatry, 9(1), 1–6.
2. Cadogan, M. (2025, September 26). History of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). LITFL.
3. de Mangoux, G. C., Amad, A., Quilès, C., Schürhoff, F., & Pignon, B. (2022). History of ECT in schizophrenia: From discovery to current use. Schizophrenia Bulletin Open, 3(1), sgac053.
4. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) [Book chapter]. In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
5. Electroconvulsive therapy overview [Book chapter]. In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
6. Clinical indications for ECT [Book chapter]. In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
7. Mechanisms and effects of ECT [Book chapter]. In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
8. Deep brain stimulation in psychiatric treatment [Article]. Frontiers in Neuroscience.
9. Historical perspectives on ECT [Book chapter]. In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
10. Ethical considerations in psychiatric treatments [Book chapter]. In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Medicine has always sought ways to alleviate suffering.
And sometimes, in that search, it silenced people instead.

Welcome to The Cadaver’s Lessons. In this episode, we confront one of the darkest chapters in psychiatric care: the rise of the lobotomy and the man who helped turn it into a medical sensation—Dr. Walter Freeman.

Once hailed as a miracle cure for mental illness, the lobotomy was promoted as a simple solution to complex human suffering. We trace how Freeman’s relentless advocacy and showman-style demonstrations pushed the procedure into hospitals across the United States, often with little evidence, oversight, or ethical restraint.

Through haunting case studies, we examine the human cost behind the headlines. This episode questions how desperation, authority, and flawed science.

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.
Follow along, stay curious, and remember—
Some medical breakthroughs are remembered not for what they healed… but for the lives they destroyed.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
📲 Follow us on Instagram @the_cadavers_lessons & TikTok @the.cadavers.lessons

Class is dismissed.

📚 References

1. StoryCorps. (n.d.). My lobotomy. StoryCorps. https://storycorps.org/stories/my-lobotomy/
2. HistoryExtra. (n.d.). Rosemary Kennedy — the tragic life and lobotomy of JFK’s sister. https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/rosemary-kennedy-jfk-sister-life-lobotomy-what-happened/
3. Autopsy of Architecture. (n.d.). St. Elizabeths Hospital. https://autopsyofarchitecture.com/st-elizabeths-hospital/
4. DCist. (2016, March 7). Walter Freeman, St. Elizabeths and the lobotomy. https://dcist.com/story/16/03/07/walter-freeman-lobotomy-st-elizabet/
5. Neurosurgical Focus. (2017). Historical development and current status of lobotomy. Journal of Neurosurgery: Focus, 43(3), E6. https://thejns.org/focus/view/journals/neurosurg-focus/43/3/article-pE6.xml
6. HowStuffWorks. (n.d.). How lobotomies worked. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/lobotomy2.htm
7. ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Lobotomy. In Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology. Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/chapter/referencework/abs/pii/B9780123851574008770

Unwired: The Lobotomy Legacy

Medicine has always been a little… experimental.
And some ideas refuse to stay buried.

Welcome to The Cadaver’s Lesson, a podcast exploring the strange, fascinating, and unsettling history of medicine. In this episode, we look into one of psychiatry’s darkest chapters: the lobotomy—and how a desperate search for cures led to irreversible harm.

From the pivotal case of Phineas Gage to the rise of psychosurgery in overcrowded mental institutions, we trace how altering the brain became a widely accepted treatment for mental illness. We examine the social pressures, limited medical knowledge, and fear surrounding psychiatric disease that allowed lobotomies to flourish—culminating in Walter Freeman’s transorbital technique, a procedure as fast as it was devastating.

The conversation confronts the human cost of lobotomies: patients stripped of autonomy, families promised miracles, and a medical system that prioritized efficiency over consent and outcomes. We also explore how the introduction of psychiatric medications in the 1950s finally brought about the decline of lobotomies—and what this shift reveals about society’s evolving understanding of mental illness.

By reflecting on the rise and fall of lobotomies, we examine how medicine can be shaped as much by fear and convenience as by science—and why ethical safeguards are essential to progress.

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.
Follow along, stay curious, and remember—
Some lessons were never meant to survive.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok @the_cadavers_lessons
Class is dismissed.

📚 References

• Natale, J. E., & Wolters, P. L. (2013). Violence, mental illness, and the brain – A brief history of psychosurgery: Part 1 – From trephination to lobotomy. Surgical Neurology International, 4, 49. https://doi.org/10.4103/2152-7806.110146
• National Public Radio. (2005, November 16). A lobotomy timeline. https://www.npr.org/2005/11/16/5014576/a-lobotomy-timeline
• International Museum of Surgical Science. (n.d.). Rosemary Kennedy’s lobotomy. https://www.imhm.org/page-1854827
• Ghodse, H., Galea, G., & Volpe, U. (2017). Historical development of psychosurgery. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences. PMC https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5510479/
• Andrade, C. (2020). Chapter title if known. In Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, and the Legacy of Lobotomy (Book or Section Title). In StatPearls. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568715

Amanda Fielding: Drilling into Consciousness

Medicine—and the mind—have always pushed against the edges of what we think is possible.
And some questions refuse to stay locked inside the skull.

Welcome to The Cadaver’s Lesson, a podcast exploring the strange, fascinating, and unsettling history of medicine. In this episode, we step away from the operating theater and into the realm of consciousness as we examine the life and work of Amanda Fielding—an aristocrat, artist, activist, and one of the most controversial figures in modern psychedelic research.

From her radical self-experimentation with trepanation to her founding of the Beckley Foundation, Fielding’s story sits at the crossroads of neuroscience, art, philosophy, and policy reform. We trace how her belief in expanded consciousness challenged scientific norms, provoked public backlash, and ultimately helped open doors for legitimate, evidence-based psychedelic research.

Along the way, we explore why trepanation re-emerged in countercultural movements, how early psychedelic research was halted by politics rather than data, and how modern science is cautiously revisiting substances once dismissed as taboo. The episode also tackles the stigma surrounding psychedelics, the ethics of self-experimentation, and the tension between personal conviction and scientific rigor.

By examining Amanda Fielding’s legacy, we reflect on how medicine and science evolve—not just through controlled trials, but through bold questions, cultural shifts, and people willing to challenge the boundaries of accepted thought.

New episodes drop Mondays, with companion historical case episodes on Fridays.

☕ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/the_cadavers_lessons
📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok @the_cadavers_lessons

Class is dismissed.

📚 References

The Guardian – Amanda Feilding Interview
Source: Booth, Robert. “‘LSD can reset the brain’: Amanda Feilding on psychedelics, politics and suicide”, The Guardian, 10 February 2019.
URL: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/10/amanda-feilding-lsd-can-reset-the-brain-interview

Beckley Foundation – Amanda Feilding Bio
Source: Beckley Foundation. “Amanda Feilding” (official biography).
URL: https://www.beckleyfoundation.org/amanda-feilding/

John Horgan – Blog Piece
Source: Horgan, John. “Requiem for a Psychedelic Holy Lady” (blog post).
URL: https://johnhorgan.org/blog-1/requiem-for-a-psychedelic-holy-lady

Medical Republic – Feature on Amanda Feilding
Source: “Amanda Feilding: The woman who drilled a hole into her skull”, The Medical Republic.
URL: https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/amanda-feilding-the-woman-who-drilled-a-hole-into-her-skull/119065