logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
35m 20s

Corpse Medicine: Eating Egyptian Mummies

History Hit
About this episode

A skull a day! People ate people in the name of medicine across Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Charles II kept powdered skull in a bag on his belt and mummified corpses were the greatest cure of all... but why? Maddy Pelling and Anthony Delaney visit the apothecary with guide Hannah Slajus, whose PhD was on human ingredients in medicinal remedies in seventeenth century.


Edited by Max Hennessy. Produced by Freddy Chick. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AFTERDARK

You can take part in our listener survey here.


After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast.

Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click here to place your vote! Thank you! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 30
Britain's Bloodiest Mutiny
The captain of the HMS Hermione was a sadist even by the not-very-high standards of the British Royal Navy in the 1700's. He was a prolific flogger, subjecting his crew to the cat-of-nine-tails. It was hardly a surprise when his crew rose up and mutinied. Even if the British Navy ... Show More
31m 10s
Jul 27
Murder In The Medici Court
In Medici Florence there were two ways of maintaining power - one was money and the other was murder. Isabella de’ Medici was the believed daughter of the Medici patriarch, a patron of the arts and a sparkling wit. But that meant nothing to her own husband, who murdered her, or h ... Show More
47m 57s
Jul 23
The Most Disastrous Voyage in Navy History
It's hard to wrap your head around all the disasters that befell Captain Anson's Royal Navy voyage around the world in the 1740s. Rampant scurvy, horrendous storms, marooning and mutiny to name but a few. 90% of the original crew never returned. Those who made it back to Britain ... Show More
49m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2025
CLASSIC: Back When the Rich Ate Corpses
Nowadays it's safe to say that cannibalism isn't a widely-accepted practice, but not so long ago it was considered the bleeding edge (get it?) in medicine throughout Western Europe. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the odd practice of consuming human body parts in hopes of curri ... Show More
36m 21s
Oct 2022
59: Cannibalism as Medicine?? The Wild trend of Mummy Powder
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Mummies, we know em, we’ve love em. And they are quite exclusive. Really rare. I mean everybody loses their minds whenever we find a new one. But would you believe at one time, there was a whole bunch of these bony bois lying around? Oh yeah, ... Show More
38m 9s
Aug 2023
29: Morbid Medicine: History’s Deadliest Cures
From drilling holes in your skull to eating tapeworms for weight loss, we're looking at some of the most morbid medical advice that's been given throughout history Subscribe on Patreon for bonus content and to become a member of our Rogue Detecting Society. Follow on Tik Tok and ... Show More
31m 46s
Jul 2022
CLASSIC: Cannibalism: Fact and Fiction
<p>Cannibalism is an ancient taboo, but how often has it actually occurred? Join the guys in this classic episode as they explore the grisly rumors and frightening facts behind history’s stories of cannibalism.</p><p><a href="https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-shou ... Show More
39m 49s
Jul 2023
27: Harvard’s Dirty Secret: Bejeweled Skulls and Grave Robbing
The manager of Harvard's Medical school was just indicted for selling human remains to oddities shops, but the history of Harvard's involvement in black market corpse dealings goes back over 250 years. Let's travel through the morgue, past the skeletons found in Harvard's walls, ... Show More
27m 23s
Nov 2023
42: Human Sacrifice: Dark Rituals Throughout History
Human sacrifice has been a part of many cultures throughout history. But why did they do it? And more importantly, what was it like for the person being sacrificed? In this episode, we dive into ritual sacrifice in places like the Aztec Empire and Cahokia. Subscribe on Patreon fo ... Show More
33m 18s
Mar 2025
#223 The History of Cannibalism
📖 Episode Transcripts in Link Below ⬇️ Today, we’ll dive into the history of cannibalism, a practice as old as humanity itself, shrouded in taboo, survival, and ritual. https://patreon.com/HistoryinSlowGerman?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshar ... Show More
4m 11s
Mar 2025
Murderous Women
<p><strong>**This podcast contains graphic descriptions of murders and the punishments of those convicted**</strong></p><br><p>Gruesome murders carried out by women captivated the public imagination in Early Modern Britain. Pamphlets, ballads, and woodcuts spread the stories of t ... Show More
53m 26s
Jan 2024
Lore 244: Stolen
<p>Human remains are a touchy subject. But over the centuries, one specific type of folklore has turned them into something greater in death than they were in life.</p> <p><em>Produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research and writing by GennaRose Nethercott, and music by Chad Lawson.</ ... Show More
26m 44s