The Mysterious Illness during George Vancouver's Expedition

This chapter explores an expedition in the 1790s where crew members became suddenly ill due to toxin-contaminated shellfish. It highlights the importance of understanding the interconnections of the natural world and the cautionary tale it provides.

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Challenging our assumptions on toxins

What’s more terrifying than the true life tales of bloodcurdling and breathstopping toxins? This Hallows' Eve we're taking a page from the history books to make sense of puzzling poisons of our past and present.

Dr. Kaylee Byers speaks with Toxicologist Dr. Kimberly Garrett as they connect the dots across the globe of some of the most notorious and subtle poisonings in history. From investigating the final words of a disgraced emperor, tragic fates of conquesting explorers, wisdom from whimsical alchemists and desperate Victorian candy maker ploys, they demystify the distinction between necessary warning labels to lifelines concocted with a drop of poison.

In these ghoulish stories, a healthy dose of information could be a lifesaver.

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Highlights:

(08:46) - Origins of 'the dose Makes the poison', a sometimes right alchemist

(20:30) - A deathly candy maker on hallows eve

(23:28) - Toxins in the water, understanding PFAS

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Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/47ub5Qo

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Resources:

Was Napolean Poisoned? | American Museum of Natural History

A Visit to Longwood | Napoleon.org