Real Remnants 6: Mustard Gas & Chemotherapy

This time, we look at medical innovation in the context of war (and beyond!) and how observation led to the development of a treatment for cancer from a chemical weapon.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gHlENF6TdVCouRCb4ViW2eX97TZonNOfZlJzlX-Le2E/edit?usp=sharing

For Early Access to the next part of Real Remnants and Remnants' second season when it starts airing, support me on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hangingslothstudios

A note: this episode mentions the development of the polio vaccine. This vaccine's development is wacky and absolutely wild in its own right, and many of the methods used, particularly early in the process, were completely bonkers and would not hold up to modern scrutiny; indeed many were criticised even at the time. The point is to highlight a case where people were not non-consensually used to innovate medically, NOT to highlight an example of a perfect developmental process. If I can find an excuse to talk about the development of the polio vaccine in more depth at some point, I absolutely will because it is completely wild.

Further reading, for those compelled to dig deeper:

• Visual breakdown of the Haber Process: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9tvw6f/revision/1
• Deeper overview of mustard gas’ development into chemotherapy: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2014/08/27/mustard-gas-from-the-great-war-to-frontline-chemotherapy/
• 'Medical Bondage' by Dr Deirdre Cooper Owens: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1pwt69x (available in many libraries and for purchase online, too)
• Introductory essay on ‘Medical Bondage’: https://www.thenationalbookreview.com/features/2021/2/26/qhy31dvkoyk2hdgi00iwfjarn17n8a

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