6 Phrases from Medicine's Darkest Century

Chapters

1. 00:00Medicine's Darkest Phrases
2. 00:16Bedlam's Dark Secret
3. 00:32Pepys's Diary
4. 00:47Mercury Cure-All
5. 01:02The Next Fraud
6. 01:18Stanley's Fraud
7. 01:34Cold Turkey's Origin
8. 01:47A Sudden Stop
9. 02:01Unverified

About this video

Discover the dark origins of English idioms from medicine's darkest century. In this video, we explore 6 phrases that reveal the shocking history behind common expressions. Chapters: 00:00 Medicine's Darkest Phrases 00:16 Bedlam's Dark Secret 00:32 Pepys's Diary 00:47 Mercury Cure-All 01:02 The Next Fraud 01:18 Stanley's Fraud 01:34 Cold Turkey's Origin 01:47 A Sudden Stop 02:01 Unverified Sources & further reading: • Bethlem Museum of the Mind — Official museum of the Bethlem Royal Hospital, documenting its history as an asylum and public spectacle. • Oxford English Dictionary — Authoritative source for first attestations of 'quack,' 'cold turkey,' and 'basket case.' • Smithsonian Magazine — Articles on the history of snake oil and patent medicines. • Royal Humane Society — Historical records of resuscitation methods, including tobacco smoke enemas. • Samuel Pepys' Diary — Primary source documenting a visit to Bedlam in 1661. • New York Tribune, 1919 — Newspaper article containing one of the earliest uses of 'basket case.'

From the video

More from The English Pour

6 Phrases That Were Once Objects in a Print Shop

6 Everyday Phrases the Royal Navy Gave Us

Arrested for Listening

The Midnight Oil Was Whale Oil

The Bucket Was Never a Bucket

Wish Them a Broken Neck

An Iron Cage for Words

The Storm Was Odin's Dogs