[The Macabre History of Corpse Medicine: From Mummy Dust to Executioner's Blood]-[October Bonus Episode - Corpse Medicine: Tomb to Table]

Morbid · B2 · 2025-10-10

📋 Summary

The Bizarre Legacy of Corpse Medicine

In this bonus episode of Morbid, hosts Ash and Alaina dive into a deeply unsettling chapter of medical history: the practice of "corpse medicine," or medical cannibalism. While modern listeners might find the concept of ingesting human remains for health benefits repulsive, this practice was a legitimate, widespread medical endeavor in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries.

The Origins: Bitumen and a Linguistic Mix-up

The roots of corpse medicine are tied to a significant linguistic error regarding the word "mummy." Originally, the term referred to "bitumen," a naturally occurring, sticky, black substance used in ancient times to treat ailments ranging from asthma to scorpion bites. When Europeans encountered Egyptian mummies preserved in resin, they mistakenly believed the bodies were saturated with this "miracle" bitumen. This led to the misapprehension that the entire human corpse possessed curative properties, effectively birthing the English word "mummy" to describe the preserved remains themselves rather than the substance.

The Philosophy of Sympathetic Magic

Practitioners of corpse medicine relied on the logic of "sympathetic magic," the belief that like treats like. If a person suffered from a migraine, they might be prescribed a "ground-up skull tincture." If they were bleeding, they were given "blood jam"—a concoction derived from the blood of "persons of warm, moist temperament."

One of the most infamous remedies, "Goddard’s Drops," was a tincture invented by Dr. Jonathan Goddard that included five pounds of human skull, dried vipers, distilled deer horns, and ivory. King Charles II was such a fan that he purchased the recipe for 6,000 pounds, rebranded it as "The King’s Drops," and reportedly drank it from a skull-shaped goblet. Ironically, the King died of a stroke while still increasing his dosage of the substance.

The Role of Vital Spirit and Executioners

To maximize the potency of these "medicines," physicians sought body parts from those who had died "violent deaths." This was rooted in the concept of the "vital spirit"—the belief that a person who dies suddenly retains more life force because their spirit hasn't been depleted by long-term illness.

This demand turned executioners into key suppliers. At execution sites, crowds would clamor to purchase cups of warm blood, sometimes dipping bread into it as if it were a meal. Furthermore, skulls left exposed to the elements in Ireland were highly prized if they grew "skull moss" (usnea), which was believed to be saturated with the victim's vital spirit and used to treat nosebleeds or wounds.

Beyond Medicine: The Dark Side of Art

Corpse medicine even infiltrated the arts. The pigment "Mummy Brown" was created using white pitch, myrrh, and actual mummy flesh. Used for centuries, it wasn't until 1881 that artist Edward Burne-Jones discovered the truth and gave his remaining tube a "proper burial."

Conclusion: The Shift Toward Reason

By the 18th century, the Age of Reason began to dismantle these practices. As scientific understanding grew, the lack of efficacy became undeniable, and the moral implications of grave robbing and harvesting human remains became increasingly difficult to ignore. While these practices eventually faded into history—with the last recorded listing of a mummy for sale appearing in 1924—the era serves as a stark reminder of how far humanity has traveled in its pursuit of health and the often gruesome lengths it went to in the name of a cure.

🎯Key Sentences

I mean, do what you got to do.

Whatever it takes.

I think I would just tolerate it.

Whatever you feel.

I don't know what to say to her.

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📝Key Phrases

do what you got to do

whatever it takes

get over it

back it up

come off of

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📖 Transcript

What if I started every episode like that?