Medicalization

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Unless you're out at sea, in which case, you'll want to conserve resources and avoid the pirate's curse. Why? Listen to find out.

To make the perfect cocktail, you have to get the ratios just right. Doctor Hanaoka risked a handful of village dogs and even his wife's sight in search of that perfect proportion. In this episode, we travel to Japan to examine the true origins of general anesthesia.

A haunted clinic in 1800’s Vienna? Sounds like the perfect setting for American Horror Story — and also our next episode. We discover why one clinic was deemed cursed and how a doctor died trying to uncover the secret.

One of the greatest diseases known to humans was no match for a Cow named Blossom… In this episode, we discuss how her disease protected people from a much worse fate all thanks to the unconventional wisdom of Dr. Edward Jenner.

What do Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, and Jake Gyllenhaal have in common? They all fictionalized the real life story of David Vetter, a little boy who was quarantined from the world. Literally.

To dive a little deeper into the world of cataracts and their treatment, we sat down with Dr. Kenneth Hovland, MD, a cataract surgeon who loves medical history.

Mayday! Mayday! This episode is more than meets the eye. When General Gordon Cleaver crash landed and met Dr. Harold Ridley, the world of eye surgery was forever changed.

If you were someone who liked to cut corners, Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey was your worst nightmare. In this episode, we dive into the global crisis that left thousands of babies deformed or dead across Europe. One audacious woman was determined to halt the epidemic before it hit the shores of the United States.

1723 was a tough year for Baron John van Wassenaer. In this episode, we look at how a Dutch physician used basic medical principles to discover one of medicine’s more unusual and often dangerous conditions. Now, the disease bears his name.

We are so excited to announce that the greatest podcast to talk about science and history at the same time is now here! Meet Wafik and Jess, the hosts of Medicalization. In our first episode, we introduce ourselves, the origins of the title, and our intentions in creating this podcast.