What’s Your Poison? History’s Bloody Doctors

If Jack the Ripper was a surgeon or not is still a matter of debate, some theories argue that he might have been a butcher, worked in a slaughterhouse, or a doctor given the clinical and professional manner of his mutilations. In total, the police would investigate a series of 11 brutal murders between 1888 and 1891. The victims all prostitutes working in the slums of the East End. The investigation was substantial – over a three-year period, 2000 people were interviewed, 300 investigated and 80 detained. But no one was ever charged.Jack wasn’t alone in haunting the streets under a slate Victorian sky. Consider Dr William Palmer who strode through a Dickensian world - Dickens himself called him ‘the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey’, with a vial of poison to hand. Or Dr Thomas Neill Cream who killed members of his own family as well as a string of sex workers. And why did poison become so prevalent as the weapon of choice for this new breed of killers in the Victorian age? Presenters: Dr Harry Brunjes & Dr Andrew JohnsProducer: Philip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreSound Design: John ScottProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniJoin The Crime Desk to hear all episodes in series one straight away. Plus, you'll get exclusive weekly bonus episodes of our award-winning podcast The Trial, ad-free listening across all of our shows, and early access to brand-new series like our high-stakes investigative series, Heists, Scams & Lies.Become a member today at thecrimedesk.com.Go to enteromed.co.uk and use code IBS30 at checkout, for an exclusive 30% discount on Enterosgel IBS & Diarrhoea Relief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.