Comedians Gareth Reynolds and Dave Anthony examine the life of Joseph Nash McDowell, discussing his eccentricities, controversial beliefs, and surgical feats. They also explore topics such as ethical diamonds, upcoming road dates, and the controversy surrounding Dane Cook's alleged joke theft.
Joseph McDowell, a renowned doctor, exhibited eccentric behavior throughout his life, being adored by students despite his crass and raunchy nature.
McDowell's unconventional behavior extended to preserving bodies in see-through coffins filled with alcohol and using unauthorized body donations for anatomical dissections.
McDowell's medical practices were controversial, including creating a harmful cholera prescription and holding extreme pro-confederate beliefs and hatred towards foreigners and Catholics.
Deep dives
Joseph McDowell's Eccentric Behavior and Medical Career
Joseph McDowell, a renowned doctor and teacher, exhibited eccentric behavior throughout his life. He had a reputation for being a crass and raunchy figure, often speaking loudly and using profanity. Despite this, he was adored by his students and considered one of the smartest men in the room. McDowell founded the medical departments of various institutions, including the Medical College of Ohio. However, he also faced controversies, such as his involvement in a bitter rivalry with Dr. William Beaumont. McDowell's unconventional behavior extended to his personal life as well, as he preserved the bodies of deceased family members by suspending them in the mark twain caves or placing them in see-through coffins filled with alcohol.
Rumors of Body Snatching and Mob Confrontations
McDowell and his students were known for their unauthorized body donations for anatomical dissections, leading to rumors of kidnapping and killing people for their medical studies. These rumors fueled fierce mob confrontations against McDowell and his medical college. During one such confrontation, he aimed to release a live bear to deter the mob, but the bear simply sat down and yawned. McDowell's erratic behavior, including wearing a brass breastplate and seeking shelter during thunderstorms, further added to his eccentric reputation.
The Unusual Burial Practices and Cannon-Ridden College
McDowell displayed unconventional burial practices, such as placing his deceased children in glass coffins filled with alcohol. He even suspended his youngest child in a copper case in the mark twain caves. Additionally, he stored a cannon and various weapons in the caves, possibly as part of preparations for a Mexican invasion. McDowell's medical college, equipped with cannons and reinforced wings, gained notoriety for its association with the eccentric and controversial doctor.
Joseph Nash McDowell's Unconventional Teaching Methods and Financial Troubles
Joseph Nash McDowell, a college teacher, had a penchant for socializing with his students and sharing personal information, which was considered unseemly. He would often go fishing and hunting with them, and even discussed his troubled marriage and financial woes. McDowell had no qualms about asking students for loans, often using personal stories of his daughter's health issues as a pretext. He also required hands-on dissection and joined his students on grave robbing expeditions, emphasizing that no part of the body should be wasted.
Joseph Nash McDowell's Controversial Medical Practices and Political Beliefs
Joseph Nash McDowell's medical practices and political beliefs were highly controversial. He gained notoriety for creating a cholera prescription that was actually detrimental to patients, causing them to become dehydrated and denying them the water they needed. Despite the detrimental effects, his treatment was widely popular, as people did not realize the harm it caused. McDowell's pro-confederate beliefs and hatred for foreigners and Catholics, including Germans and Irish Catholics, further added to his notoriety. He engaged in public rants against abolitionists and union supporters, and openly expressed his disdain for the Jesuit community. Even after the Civil War broke out, McDowell actively joined the Confederate Army and brought cannons, showing his extreme loyalty. After the war, he continued to hold intense beliefs and created a room called "hell" to commemorate Abraham Lincoln, with disturbing imagery including effigies of Lincoln, Lucifer, and other imps.
