The Sick to Death Podcast
Episode 1: The Ancient World
In the first episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Dr Matt Pope, Dr Jay Crisostomo, Dr Sushma Jansari and Dr Naoise Mac Sweeney to explore the history of medicine during the prehistoric and the ancient world. Today’s object is a replica Roman medical kit, complete with votive eyes, knives and specula.
Meet the experts!
Dr Matt Pope: Senior Research Fellow Institute of Archaeology ASE Institute of Archaeology UCL, specialising in Neanderthal behaviour.
Dr Jay Crisostomo: Associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Michigan, focusing on the texts produced in cuneiform culture.
Dr Sushma Jansari: Historian, Host of The Wonder House podcast, and Tabor Foundation Curator South Asian Collection at the British Museum.
Dr Naoise Mac Sweeney: Academic, expert in ancient history and its archaeology, and author of Troy: Myth, City, Icon.
You can find the podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Podbean and all the usual sites. Enjoy!
We are determined to make the podcast as accessible as possible. To read a transcript of the episode, please click here.
Episode 2 Medieval Medicine
In the second episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Dr Janina Ramirez, Professor Michael Wood, Dr Eleanor Janega and Shafi Musaddique to explore the history of medicine during the medieval period. Today’s object is the skeleton of a medieval nun.
Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred. To access a transcription of the episode please click here.
Episode 3: The Black Death
In the third episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Dr Janina Ramirez, Professor Michael Wood, Dr Eleanor Janega, Dr Emma Wells and Shafi Musaddique to investigate the history of the Black Death – from medicine and religion to trade and culture. Today’s object is a pomander, used to ward of miasma…
Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred
Episode 4: Early Modern Medicine
In the fourth episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Julie Mathias, Dr Lara Thorpe, Dr Wanda Wyporska, Luke Pepera and Dr Anton Howes to investigate medicine during the early modern period. Forget the Tudors, the big story during this time is the movement of medical thinking away from Galen. Today’s object is a life-size replica of Andreas Vesalius’s Hanging Man.
Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Matt Pearson. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred
Episode 5: Global Exchange
In the fifth episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Elise Mitchell, Dr James Brown, Dr Kim Walker, Professor Manuel Barcia Paz and Dr Rohan Deb Roy to investigate how medicine and disease traveled around the globe. Focusing on the transatlantic slave trade and the story of malaria and quinine, we’ll shine a light on medicine during early modern globalization. Today’s objects are tea and coffee.
Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred. To access a transcription of the episode please click here.
*Warning: this episode contains content some listeners might find disturbing*
Episode 6: The Vaccine
In the sixth episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Elise Mitchell, Owen Gower, Professor Kate Williams and Dr Lindsey Fitzharris. Focusing on smallpox, we tell the fascinating story of vaccinations. Today’s ‘object’ is St Michael’s Church, Chester.
Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred. To access a transcription of the episode please click here.
Episode 7: Industrial Revolution
In the seventh episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Dr Deborah Brunton, Julie Mathias, Stephen McGann, Dr David Turner and Dr Jaipreet Virdi. We’ll explore the ways in which the Industrial Revolution transformed public health, wrought disability rights to the fore, and wreaked havoc on urban health. Today’s object is a model of smoke damaged lungs. Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred. To access a transcription of the episode please click here
Episode 8: Shock of the New . Click here for the episode.
In the eighth episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Dr Deborah Brunton, Professor Kate Williams, Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Dr Anton Howes, and Dr Subhadra Das. This episode explores nineteenth century innovations, discoveries, and looks at key figures such as Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Joseph Lister. Today’s object is a model of smoke damaged lungs. Today’s object is an electric shock therapy machine.
With thanks to today’s guests: Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Voice actor Laura Darrall. Theme music “Time” by The Broxton Hundred. To access a transcription of the episode please click here.
Episode 9: War and Disease
In the penultimate episode of our brand-new podcast series, historian and host Rebecca Rideal is joined by Sick to Death’s very own Dean Paton, as well as experts Paul Reed, Dr Jacob Steere-Williams and Dr Tessa Dunlop, to investigates medical challenges and innovations during the First and Second World Wars. We also shine a light on the Third Plague Pandemic. Today’s object is a Second World War medical kit.
Written and produced by Rebecca Rideal. Edited and produced by Peter Curry. Theme music: “Time” by The Broxton Hundred.
The podcast is brought to you by Sick to Death, an exciting new medical museum in the heart of historic Chester.
