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Image by: Image courtesy of Flickr user Rennett Stowe. 

Distillations Episode 107: Medical Gross Out

Series: Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Length: 00:15:30

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This episode will have your skin crawling… literally. In honor of Halloween we bring you a show revealing a scarier (and squirmier) side of science. Read the full description.

107_thumbnail_small This episode will have your skin crawling… literally. In honor of Halloween we bring you a show revealing a scarier (and squirmier) side of science. First we look at a non-traditional kind of farm—one that exists for forensic anthropologists to harvest dead bodies. Next up, former Distillations host Robert Hicks and his pet leeches demonstrate the creatures’ surprising military history. Finally, we look at a cost-effective treatment for ridding the body of dead tissue: maggots.

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Piece Description

This episode will have your skin crawling… literally. In honor of Halloween we bring you a show revealing a scarier (and squirmier) side of science. First we look at a non-traditional kind of farm—one that exists for forensic anthropologists to harvest dead bodies. Next up, former Distillations host Robert Hicks and his pet leeches demonstrate the creatures’ surprising military history. Finally, we look at a cost-effective treatment for ridding the body of dead tissue: maggots.

Broadcast History

Podcast on October 29, 2010.

Timing and Cues

00:00 Opening Credits
00:27 Introduction
00:54 Forensic Anthropology
04:06 A Conversation with Robert Hicks and his leeches
11:47 Maggots
14:39 Closing Credits

Additional Credits

Special thanks to Margaret E. Wood, Chemical Heritage magazine's former editorial assistant, for researching this episode.

Music on this week’s episode from Music Alley. Music includes “Halloween,” by CART!, “Churchyard - Halloween 7,” “Restless Spirits - Halloween 1,” and “Restless Spirits - Beat C - Halloween 5,” by Film Composer - David Beard, and “Halloween,” by The Coffinshakers.

Related Website

http://www.chemheritage.org/distillations