About this episode
The episode discusses a government experiment in 1902 where twelve young men consumed food laced with harmful chemicals.
In 1902, twelve young men volunteered for a government experiment. They agreed to eat food laced with chemicals like formaldehyde, borax, and salicylic acid every day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They were called The Poison Squad. Deborah Blum’s book is The Poison Squad. Say hello on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for our occasional newsletter. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts. Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, invitations to virtual events, special merch deals, and more. We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Topics covered
- government experiment
- food safety
- toxicology
- historical events
- public health
Keywords
- Poison Squad
- Deborah Blum
- government experiment
- food laced with chemicals
- toxic substances
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Vox Media Podcast Network
Books & works: The Poison Squad
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