logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
35m 4s

World War I and the Rise of the Peat Mos...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

War often drives innovation — often out of desperation. In World War I, doctors were overwhelmed and dangerously short on supplies, especially bandages. With no end in sight for the cotton shortage, ingenious doctors found an unlikely (and superior) alternative: peat moss.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Moon Rock Heists, Part One: Lunatic Heists and Space Law
Is it legal to own a moon rock? Well... that depends. If it's a piece of the moon that made it to Earth naturally, then all good. If, however, it's a sample retrieved on purpose by NASA's Apollo program, you can get in some serious trouble for trying to snag it. In part one of th ... Show More
49m 32s
Aug 23
CLASSIC: The Strange and Spectacularly Disgusting Story of the Great Kentucky Meat Shower
On March 3rd, 1876, residents of Bath County, Kentucky were startled to see what appeared to be chunks and flakes of meat falling from the clear, cloudless sky. The rain, which only lasted a few minutes, captured national attention. People across the country proposed various theo ... Show More
35m 55s
Aug 22
The Ridiculously Energetic History of Energy Drinks!
This episode is brought to you by our favorite cohost: coffee. These days, if you stroll into any convenience store across the planet, you're going to run into a selection of energy drinks -- whether we're talking Red Bull, NOS, Monster, or our favorite pal, the humble cup of joe ... Show More
47m 1s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled the Nazis
In World War II, a secret department of British ‘corkscrew thinkers’ hatched a plan to use the cadaver of an unclaimed homeless man to turn the tide of the war in the Allies’ favor. It worked. Learn all about it in this classic episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/ ... Show More
44m 53s
Feb 2016
Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled the Nazis
In World War II, a secret department of British 'corkscrew thinkers' hatched a plan to use the cadaver of an unclaimed homeless man to turn the tide of the war in the Allies' favor. It worked. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio. ... Show More
44m 22s
Aug 2020
Wu Lien-Teh and the Manchurian Plague
Wu Lien-Teh was a doctor who’s most well known for his public health work and the pneumonic plague epidemic in the early 20th century. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
40m 14s
Dec 2016
The Golden Age of Grave Robbing: Stuff You Should Know Live in London
There was a brief period in the US, UK and Ireland when a dead body could fetch a pretty penny for a person willing to dig it up and sell it to surgeons for dissection. It turns out that there was no shortage of ghoulish types willing to do just that. Learn more about your ad-cho ... Show More
1h 15m
Sep 2021
The Eradication of Smallpox
Smallpox is a viral disease that has existed for millennia. But it’s now one of only two diseases that’s been eradicated through human activity, and a global plan was enacted to do it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/list ... Show More
45m 34s
Mar 2013
Emu War of 1932
After World War I, Australian and British soldiers moved to rural Australia. In 1932, about 20,000 emus began making their way through Campion and Walgoolan, severely damaging wheat farms. The military tried to help, but may have just made things worse. Learn more about your ad-c ... Show More
25m 24s
Nov 2014
Walter Reed
Reed did truly groundbreaking work into the causes and prevention of yellow fever, building on a foundation of other doctors and researchers. His work impacted public health and the American military's ability to work in tropical locations. Learn more about your ad-choices at htt ... Show More
30m 14s
Dec 2022
Modern Medicine
The American Civil War saw a transformation in medical provision on the battlefield. A loose grouping of medical practitioners was reshaped into a burgeoning, professionalised occupation. How did the medical profession rise to the challenge of treating thousands of wounded soldie ... Show More
34m 4s
Jul 2020
Bombs-Away LeMay
The arguments, accidents, cold-blooded logic and sheer serendipity that led to the longest night of the Second World War. Part three.Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast ... Show More
39m 49s
Jan 2019
SYSK Selects: How Lobotomies Work
Lobotomies -- brain surgeries to relieve psychiatric problems -- are rarely performed today, but they were once fairly common. Tune in to learn more about the controversial history and practice of lobotomies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co ... Show More
33m 19s