If you were to call someone a snake oil salesman, it usually means they are trying to defraud someone, and more specifically it often implies making false medical claims.
But what exactly is snake oil, and why did it develop such a bad reputation, and why specifically do we use snake oil for such a negative metaphor?
Learn more about snake oil and why we still reference it on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
In 1804, King Charles IV of Spain enacted a royal order mandating the postmortem cesarean procedure in all of Spain's dominions. The Audiencia de Guatemala, way back in 1785, had already enacted a law mandating postmortem cesareans for all deceased pregnant women and even those suspected of being pregnant when they had passed away. Audiencias of other viceroyalties also enacted similar laws before 1804. What explains the emergence of the postmortem cesarean operation in colonial Latin America? What was the purpose of this procedure?
Baptism Through Incision: The Postmortem Cesarean Operation in the Spanish Empire(Penn State Press, 2020), edited by Drs. Martha Few, Zeb Tortorici, and Adam Warren tell us the story of the postmortem cesarean operation in the Spanish Empire during the eighteenth century, though the book builds a genealogy that situates this procedure in a longer history that begins in the medieval period (and even earlier!) and extends way up the twentieth century. Part of the Latin American Original series (LAO) of the Pennsylvania University Press, this book centers on the translation (made by Nina M. Scott) of a fascinating medicoreligious text: Pedro José de Arrese’s Physical, Canonical, Moral Principles . . . on the Baptism of Miscarried Fetuses and the Cesarean Operation on Women Who Die Pregnant.
Additionally, the editors present us with shorter excerpts of a wide range of texts (other medical treatises, scientific and political journals, medical instructions) that also deal with the postmortem cesarean operation in the Spanish American world. Here we talk about transatlantic enlightenment cultures; different conceptions of life and death; the co-existence and co-production of religion and medical procedures; the changes that the cesarean operation went through in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; and lastly, as usual, why this history matters to the present. A must for those listeners that want to learn more about the history of the body, medicine, and gender!
Lisette Varón-Carvajal is a PhD Candidate at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. You can tweet her and suggest books at @LisetteVaron
One mom rages against COVID with Andy this week: Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent. Diana is a fierce advocate for those with remaining COVID symptoms and she has taken a number of amazing actions on behalf of them. This episode will grip you, speak to your heart, steel your spine, and give you some brand new information on some undiscovered questions about how COVID-19 works in our bodies.
Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.
Follow Diana @DianaBerrent and Survivor Corps @Survivor_Corps on Twitter.
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Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone. Learn more at cvshealth.com.
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165
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The Taliban seized Afghanistan with a takeover of its capital Kabul this past weekend, leading the country’s President Ashraf Ghani and U.S. personnel to flee. Afghan civilians also attempted to leave the country, which led to chaos at the airport in Kabul. We talked about what led to the swift takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban forces with Laurel Miller, director of the International Crisis Group’s Asia Program. Between 2013 and 2017, Miller was the deputy and then-acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. State Department.
And Josie Duffy Rice joins as WAD co-host. In headlines: recovery efforts in Haiti after a 7.2 magnitude quake, Canadians face a snap election, and a trio of volcanoes erupt in Alaska.
Show Notes:
Twitter: Laurel Miller – https://twitter.com/LaurelMillerICG
For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday
We'll explain major developments out of Afghanistan. What some considered a "worst-case scenario" has become a reality as the Taliban have overrun the American-backed Afghan government.
Also, the track of two storms brewing in the Atlantic. One could start impacting Americans today.
Plus, a big boost to food stamp benefits, a recent hack that may have compromised T-Mobile customers, and how a rookie baseball player made MLB history.
Vivek Ramaswamy calls himself a proud father, a loyal husband, and a grateful son. His parents emigrated to America from India. A Hindu, he made his mark as a successful biotech entrepreneur.
Ramaswamy has joined forces with the Philanthropy Roundtable to narrate a compelling video as part of the organization’s True Diversity campaign—pushing back against the left’s narrow and divisive view of diversity and inclusion.
Debi Ghate, vice president of strategy and programs at the Philanthropy Roundtable and host of the "Can We Talk About It?" podcast, joins me on “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the real meaning of diversity.
"At the Roundtable, we believe an individualized approach is better for achieving true diversity," Ghate says. "What we mean by that is looking for the strengths that each person brings to the table, their values, their passions, their experiences, their background, their skills, and even more."
Last week, the U.N. published a landmark report — detailing the current state of global climate change. One thing's for sure, humans are causing a lot of this extreme weather by emitting greenhouse gases. NPR's Climate Correspondent Rebecca Hersher gives Emily three key takeaways from the report that might surprisingly help everyone feel a little more hopeful.
S2 Ep8. A cow’s amazing stomach could hold the key to stopping wastewater pollution. Engineers have designed a new sewage treatment plant based on a cow’s unique digestive process. Wastewater is progressively cleaned by microorganisms until it’s safe enough to be released into the environment. This new plant does not need electricity to operate, so it’s environmentally-friendly.
Thanks for listening. Let us know what you think. #30Animals
Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
In the agricultural town of Salinas, Calif., Police Officer William Yetter repeatedly makes mistakes. First there's a stolen bike he doesn't investigate. Then, his bosses discover he's not filing police reports on time.
