My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast podcast artwork

PODCAST · health

My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast

Join science goths Mike and Nancy from the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, as they talk about their favorite historical medical maladies, mysteries, people and events. Prepare to be disturbingly informed!

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Mar 4, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 13

    Minijawn Seven

    A quick check-in this week, with some feedback on our SUDS episode courtesy of our favorite local medical examiner, and where we are (figuratively but also literally) with our newest museum exhibition, Unseen. Also, we're hiring a digital content intern! Come play with us...Our newest exhibit, Unseen, is opening next Friday, 5 February 2021! Come check it out!

  2. 12

    Episode 7: Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome & Arsenic Wallpaper

    In this exciting episode, Nancy and Mike talk night hags, why monsters are sexist, babies that don't love hookah, Nancy's sister (a different one this time) and how she treats her gentleman callers, rebuilding your deck, dancing yourself to death, and Ireland, for some reason.

  3. 11

    Minijawn Five

    WE ATEN'T DEAD and if you got that reference, congrats, you are also a giant nerd. We check in very quickly to let you know where we've been, and when the museum is reopening! Plus, a brief discussion of the Philadelphia accent, men yelling at or at least near Nancy, and our friends over at the Science History Institute and a really cool outdoor exhibit that they have up.

  4. 10

    Episode 6: Tuberculosis and Beauty & The Lazarevich Diaphanoscope

    In this fortnight's exciting episode we talk about how having a terminal lung disease makes you sexy, and also a very early, really extremely uncomfortable imaging technology, with special guest Hannah Polasky, MSc of the Royal Anthropological Institute. Also, we talk about salad tongs for babies, really unhappy places to get burned, hair dye, makeup, more hair dye, Tombstone, e-girls, and why you might want to learn the tensile strength of the human placenta.Also, RIP to Horatio/Horatia, the last Mütter Museum leech. 

  5. 9

    Minijawn Four

    Another mini episode with corrections, updates, and events. We talk about our impending COVID-related shutdown, an upcoming event where Nancy gets electrocuted, our friend Jill Knapp's amazing rendition of that song that's stuck in my head forever now, and a few other things.

  6. 8

    Episode 5: Chimney Sweep's Scrotum & Donating Your Body to (Goth) Science

    In this fortnight's exciting episode, we talk chimney sweep's scrotum (and a bonus malady, mule spinner's scrotum!), and how you can donate your body to us or other cool places after you die. This week we welcome special guest Rhiannon Watson, forensic toxicologist, formerly of the body farm at *CENSORED*.We also discuss Swiss-German home invasions, the origins of common everyday expressions, arsenic poultices, bodily autonomy, bonus scrotal trauma, corpse catapults, and a bunch of other things.  Oh, if you don't normally listen through to the end of these episodes... maybe stick with this one all the way through.Thanks to Dr. Melissa Dunphy, Dr. Alyson Light, and Dr. George Wohlreich for their help with this episode.

  7. 7

    Minijawn Three

    In this week's minijawn we have corrections and clarifications Also we discuss the three genders: smoking, flaming or glowing poop.  As well, we go over why the bodies in Poltergeist (and many other movies) were actually real human skeletons, and not replica props as most would think, buying Bone Clones, Jean M Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series and its relation to a young science goth's sexual education, at-home skull implants, why Mike actually does know how to cook, and some teasers for next week.Show notes:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clan_of_the_Cave_Bearhttps://apnews.com/article/bears-arctic-caves-archive-russia-577b29734cb7ce40518eac6a5303cfb4https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/were-real-skeletons-used-in-the-making-of-poltergeist/https://www.skullsunlimited.com/https://boneclones.com/

  8. 6

    Episode 4: Phossy Jaw & Dr. Robert Galbraith Heath

    In this fortnight's exciting episode we talk about:  Necrosis of the jaw due to phosphorous poisoning, and a controversial 20th century psychiatrist. Also, playing with matches, heavy metal, glow-in-the-dark poop, not the guitarist from Queen, why Nancy used to smell like egg farts, labor rights, lobotomies, slavery, racism, that which bedevils the days of man, more racism, brain stimulation that isn't ASMR, conversion therapy, even more racism, and JK Rowling. Yet again the Oxford comma plays an important part in that last sentence. Notes:Special thanks to Dr. George Wohlreich, Dr. Steven Walsh, and Dr. Kenneth Weiss for helping make this episode happen.Happy Hallowe'en! HONKUS PONKUS!!!

  9. 5

    Minijawn Two

    Some feedback on our last episode, plus invitations to upcoming events, and also a teaser for the next full episode of My Favorite Malady!Show notes:Not a whole lot this week! Just this link to our upcoming events page:http://muttermuseum.org/events

  10. 4

    Episode 3: Puerperal Fever & Giant Hogweed Phototoxicity

    In this fortnight's exciting episode, we talk with special guest Dr. Marcia D. Nichols of the University of Minnesota Rochester about food courts, handwashing, why you would dress a sexy frog in pink taffeta pants, the supernatural power of the female imagination, and why delivering babies when you're covered in cadaver goo is bad for everyone, but mostly the ladies. Nancy tells us all about 14-foot-tall greenish-purple parsnips that burn your skin off, which sounds like an episode of The Outer Limits but is an actually real thing. Also we discuss catching fish in Animal Crossing, donating your removed body parts to the Mütter Museum, dolphin Starfleet officers, and joining the great William Shatner in our inexorable slide down the garbage chute of biological obsolescence.Show notes:Fixing Women by Marcia D. Nichols, PhD (which is not out yet as of this podcast release, but when it is you will be able to find it here):https://books.google.com/books/about/Fixing_Women.html?id=6Za9zQEACAAJThe Litany Against Fear:https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Litany_Against_FearEverything I Do, I Do With William Shatner:https://open.spotify.com/track/5axdO3LBFeGZHcekYA9pD2(fair warning, the song gets a bit racy in spots)Our opening and closing themes are Fearless First by Kevin McLeod, used under a Creative Commons license

  11. 3

    Minijawn One

    Some corrections, clarifications, invitations to upcoming events, and also a teaser for the next full episode of My Favorite Malady!Show notes:Jawn!https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JawnThe Dark Archives!http://muttermuseum.org/events/dark-archives-book-launch-with-megan-rosenbloom/Watch The Exorcist with Science on Tap! https://www.scienceontapphilly.com/events/science-on-tap-untapped-at-home-66ar6-263hz-mwjmd-5zpy2-3sajzAlso we didn't mention this event, but we should have! Learn about NAGPRA and human tissue collections with our collections manager!https://www.scienceontapphilly.com/events/science-on-tap-nagpra-and-human-tissue-collectionsOur opening and closing themes are Fearless First by Kevin McLeod, used under a Creative Commons license. 

  12. 2

    Episode 2: Trench Mouth & "Weird" Gonorrhea

    On this fortnight's exciting episode: Nancy's sister catches a disease from World War 1, so we make fun of her! Also, Mike talks about getting an uncommon disease that made an ER doctor very excited. Finally, we discuss the joys of mixing caffeine and alcohol, and bone flutes. The Oxford comma was very important in that last sentence.Thanks to Dr. George Wohlreich and Dr. Bennett Lorber for helping all of this come together.Show notes: La Colombe Hard Coffee: https://www.lacolombehardcoldbrew.com/The definitive word on Kraft Dinner and ketchup @ 2:45: https://youtu.be/aynCgnbbgbM?t=165Where Nancy sources her deer bones: http://friendsofmountmoriahcemetery.org/Our opening and closing themes are Fearless First by Kevin McLeod, used under a Creative Commons license. 

  13. 1

    Episode 1: Blackwater Fever & The No-Nose Clubs of 17th Century London

    Thanks for tuning into the premiere of My Favorite Malady with Mike & Nancy, a Mütter Museum podcast!On this week's exciting episode: The mysteries of Blackwater Fever. Cocktails! Colonialism! Racism! The Vatican! Also, why there were entire clubs in 17th-century London for people with no noses? Spoiler alert: Because sex reasons. Also also, we talk corned beef hash and the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.Thanks to Dr. George Wohlreich and Dr. Bennett Lorber for helping all of this come together.Show notes:Boswell's Clap: https://www.abebooks.com/9780850318562/Boswells-Clap-Essays-Ober-William-0850318564/plpArtie Lang's nose: https://www.google.com/search?q=artie+lange%27s+noseOur opening and closing themes are Fearless First by Kevin McLeod, used under a Creative Commons license. 

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

Join science goths Mike and Nancy from the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, as they talk about their favorite historical medical maladies, mysteries, people and events. Prepare to be disturbingly informed!

HOSTED BY

Mike VanHelder & Nancy Hill

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast have?

My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast currently has 13 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast about?

Join science goths Mike and Nancy from the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, as they talk about their favorite historical medical maladies, mysteries, people and events. Prepare to be disturbingly informed!

How often does My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast release new episodes?

My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast has 13 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast?

You can listen to My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast?

My Favorite Malady: A Mütter Museum Podcast is created and hosted by Mike VanHelder & Nancy Hill.
URL copied to clipboard!