Two friends discuss episodes in the history of diseases past and present. We lay out the spread of diseases through history to the modern day, and how their history has affected our modern treatment of each illness.
After a brief reprieve, we are back to hating on the colonizers (did we ever really stop?), but this time they're getting yellow fever! We talk about the names for this disease (Yellow Jack, anyone?), based on some of its more horrifying symptoms. For some visual aids, feel free to check us out on instagram @insickness2020!
Angel covers the mysterious origins of the disease, and explains the ongoing debate. She takes us over to the West Indies in the early 1700s, and how yellow fever bridged the gap between climate, race, residence, and susceptibility. She runs us through some of the worst (bloodletting), best (opium and alcohol), and weirdest (pigeons) cures for the disease, and how ineffective they were. Maya takes us forward into Western Africa, also known as "the white man's grave", and how the huge amount of deaths led to vaccine work. While that might seem positive, if you've listened to this podcast before, you surely know that that is not the case. Maya brings us to medical experimentation and racism galore, before capping it off with the tale of The Yellow Fever Fiend.
29 May 2026
MMR Part 2: Mumps & Rubella
Don't get your goiters in a twist.....the next episode is here! Last time, we talked about measles, the first M of MMR. But mumps and rubella are so often overlooked! Join us this episode as we discuss these two diseases through the lens of media. We will talk about Brooklyn 99, Miss Marple, and so much in between! Join us as we learn a bit more about the impact that these diseases have had on not just our health, but our viewing habits.
27 Mar 2026
MMR Part 1: Measles
This episode we begin to explore the MMR vaccine and the diseases it protects against (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella). We focus mostly on measles, as there is a lot of ground to cover. Angel talks about its reign of terror, and the way it affected entire nations, as it spread across the world...or wait, was that just colonizers? As we discuss, they often came together! Maya discusses religious groups, and how extreme beliefs often come hand-in-hand with new measles outbreaks. Join us as we break down a classic viral disease, and come back for the next episode, where we talk about the other M and R, mumps and rubella in popular media!
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
18 ratings
Contact In Sickness
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