S2E31 For Medicinal Purposes: Whiskey, Jazz, and Germs

Medicine. Contraband. Comfort. Step inside a hidden 1920s speakeasy where the jazz is live, the whiskey is illegal, and one of the most surprising chapters in medical history unfolds. During Prohibition, physicians could legally prescribe medicinal whiskey for illnesses ranging from pneumonia and influenza to pain and "nervous exhaustion." At the same time, bootleggers, pharmacists, lawmakers, and patients were all navigating a confusing world where the same bottle could be medicine, commodity, or contraband. In this immersive Outbreak After Dark episode, Heather and Kate explore: Why doctors prescribed medicinal whiskey before antibiotics How Prohibition reshaped medical practice Patent medicines and the blurred line between treatment and marketing Industrial alcohol and the tragic consequences of denaturing What these stories reveal about medicine, evidence, and human behavior Join us for an evening of jazz, secret passwords, and one of the most unusual intersections of infectious disease and American history. Full citations and more at the website. Subscribe to the Field Notes newsletter to continue the conversation and get updates on outbreaks and a peek behind the scenes.