Morbid: October Bonus Episode — Corpse Medicine: Tomb to Table (October 10, 2025)

Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Theme: True crime, creepy history, and the shockingly real history of “corpse medicine”—how medical cannibalism went from tomb to table in Europe.
Tone: Research-fueled, comedic, conversational (“lighthearted nightmare”)

Episode Overview

In this lively bonus episode, Ash and Alaina dive into one of history's weirdest, most disturbing medical practices: “corpse medicine,” or “medical cannibalism.” From mummies to “blood jam” and ground-up skull tinctures, the duo explores the grisly ways Europeans consumed human remains in the hope of curing everything from headaches to epilepsy. Balancing their signature humor with the morbid subject matter, they walk listeners through the roots of these beliefs, bizarre recipes, and the eventual shift away from such practices.

Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Banter, Updates, and Setting the Scene

Timestamps: 02:19–15:45

• The duo catch up after an eventful week (SiriusXM presentations, TikTok dances, and cozy nights in).
• Ash and Alaina gush about meeting Andy Cohen and near-missing Alex Cooper.
• “All the kookiness is probably gonna still be in here.” — Elena (03:07)
• Discussion of introversion, recharging post-events, and the importance of kindness online.
• Alaina recounts her child’s adorable whiteboard misspelling (“fleels good to be home”), and they swap self-care tips.

Notable Quote:
“I thank the universe every day for Mikey's jingle jangles.” — Mike (08:22)

2. Introduction to Corpse Medicine

Timestamps: 15:45–16:58

• Segueing to the episode’s topic: “Let’s talk about something hella nasty, because this is called Morbid, after all.”
• Ash introduces “corpse medicine,” practiced in Europe from the 12th to 17th centuries.
• Overview: doctors, apothecaries, and everyday people used human blood, fat, and ground skulls as medicine.

Notable Quote:
“They were really committed to this.” — Elena, on centuries of corpse medicine (16:34)

3. Bitumen, Mummies, and Mistranslations

Timestamps: 16:58–24:06

• Origins: Ancient Egyptians and bitumen (a sticky asphalt-like substance) used in supposed healing.
• The Arabic word “mumia” was mistranslated—Europeans believed preserved bodies (mummies) were coated in medicinal bitumen.
• Body-snatching for medical use begins: “People wanted all the bitumen, so bodies started being disturbed…” — Mike (23:34)

Notable Quote:
“People think I'm coated in bitumen a lot.” — Elena (23:31)

4. Expansion to European Cannibal Medicine

Timestamps: 24:06–27:22

• Meaning of “mumia” broadens: includes flesh, not just bitumen.
• Citing Richard Sugg: “There was almost nothing between the head and feet which could not be used in some way.” — Mike (24:32)
• The concept of “sympathetic magic”—like treats like; ingesting skull for migraines, blood for bleeding, etc.

Notable Quote:
“If your head hurts … you might as well eat some skull.” — Elena (25:11)

5. Macabre Recipes: Blood Jam and “King’s Drops”

Timestamps: 25:47–32:33

• “Blood jam” was harvested from people described as “blotchy red complexion and rather plump of build.”
• Recipe steps: dry the blood, slice, stir, pound, and sieve—keep fresh each spring (26:30).
• Tincture called “Goddard’s Drops” (later “King’s Drops” by King Charles II)—ingredients include 5 lbs. of ground human skull.
• King Charles reportedly drank wine from a goblet made of skull, mixing in the tincture—he later died of a stroke, ironically while increasing his dose.

Notable Quotes:
“Renew it in the spring of every year.” — Blood jam recipe, read by Mike (26:41)
“A skull goblet filled with skull … that's literally so much skull and wine.” — Elena (30:32)

6. The Myth of “Vital Spirit” and Sourcing from the Violent Dead

Timestamps: 32:33–35:19

• Preference for skulls of those who died violent deaths—believed to preserve the vital spirit.
• The Irish victims of Cromwellian massacres became a major source due to sheer numbers and “skull moss” (moss that grew on exposed skulls, considered extra potent).
• Moss from skulls was shoved up noses to stop nosebleeds or applied to wounds.

Notable Quotes:
“He’s called the father of toxicology … The bar was in hell.” — Mike (32:49)
“They would literally just take the moss off of skulls and shove it up their nose.” — Mike (35:29)

7. Apothecaries, Mummy Powder, and Paint

Timestamps: 35:46–39:27

• Apothecaries stocked remedies made from all parts/fractions of the dead: “tinctures, body parts, fluids, anything you could dream of.”
• Mummy powder was a favorite—it was believed to cure nearly anything.
• The pigment “Mummy Brown” (mixed from actual mummy flesh) was used in paintings (e.g., by Martin Drolling, 1815).
• Artist Edward Burne-Jones, upon learning the truth, buried his remaining tube of paint to give the mummy a “decent and proper burial.”

Notable Quotes:
“The most fleshy bits are the best parts.” — Quoted from an 18th-century London publication (37:44)

8. Fraud, Grave Robbing, and Executioner Entrepreneurs

Timestamps: 40:20–51:26

• Corpses were sourced locally, often from execution sites; buyers desired “fresh” blood and other parts from those dying violently.
• Executioners sold cups of warm blood at executions, recommending it be drunk fresh while the “spirit” remained.
• People dipped handkerchiefs and even bread in execution blood if they couldn’t afford a whole cup.
• Fat from corpses was harvested, rendered for ointments or powders (for wounds, bruises, pains).
• Surgeons during wars collected fat from fallen soldiers; catacomb residues were used for soap and candles.

Notable Quotes:
“People would be out here being like, oh, I’m gonna go buy the richest Egyptian mummy ... you could receive a camel.” — Mike (42:11)
“You could literally buy cups of warm blood ... like going to a concert and paying $12 for water.” — Mike (45:17)
“The image conjured ... taking bread or a handkerchief and soaking up warm blood ... What are we?” — Elena (45:57)

9. Twilight, Vampires, and Blood as Eternal Youth

Timestamps: 47:31–49:34

• Belief that drinking the blood of the young kept you young and healthy, echoing vampire myths.
• Roman custom: drink gladiator blood for bravery and vigor.

Notable Quotes:
“They said, have you even seen Carlisle?” — Elena (48:22)
“If you even touched the king ... believed that touch alone could heal you. Imagine what his blood could do.” — Mike (47:04)

10. The Decline of Corpse Medicine and Legacy

Timestamps: 52:11–54:11

• The Enlightenment brings scientific advances; people realize corpse medicine isn’t working and turn away from it.
• Last known mummy for sale was in 1924.
• “It got harder to supply mummies ... people were catching onto the trickery and snake oil ... but mostly people just got smarter and a little more empathetic.” — Mike (53:47)

11. Reflections, Morals, and Final Thoughts

Timestamps: 54:11–end

• Ash proposes investigating “fecal medicine” someday—Mikey firmly protests.
• Parallel between medical cannibalism and Eucharist: “At church, they're like, here's the blood of Jesus. ... One is symbolic and one is, luckily, literal.” — Elena (55:03)
• “Keep it weird, but not so weird that you go to corpse medicine as a way to treat your ailments. It's not going to work.” — Elena (55:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If your head hurts ... you might as well eat some skull.” — Elena (25:11)
• “A skull goblet filled with skull ... that's literally so much skull and wine.” — Elena (30:32)
• “He’s called the father of toxicology ... The bar was in hell.” — Mike (32:49)
• “You could literally buy cups of warm blood ... like going to a concert and paying $12 for water.” — Mike (45:17)
• “They would literally just take the moss off of skulls and shove it up their nose.” — Mike (35:29)
• “Renew it in the spring of every year.” — Blood jam recipe, read by Mike (26:41)
• “People think I'm coated in bitumen a lot.” — Elena (23:31)
• “They said, have you even seen Carlisle?” — Elena (48:22)
• "Keep it weird, but not so weird that you go to corpse medicine as a way to treat your ailments.” — Elena (55:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Personal catch-up & banter | Hosts recount NYC trip, introversion, and kindness | 02:19–15:45 | | Introduction to corpse medicine | Ash frames the episode's topic | 15:45–16:58 | | Bitumen & mummy mistranslation | The Egyptian origin, bitumen/mummy confusion | 16:58–24:06 | | Blood jam and “King’s Drops” recipes | Bizarre ingredient lists explained | 25:47–32:33 | | Vital spirit and sourcing from the dead | Irish skulls, “skull moss,” and their uses | 32:33–35:19 | | Apothecaries & mummy powder in art | The pigment “Mummy Brown,” apothecary wares | 35:46–39:27 | | Grave robbing & executioner-sold body parts | Local corpses become main source, bizarre market | 40:20–51:26 | | Shift away from corpse medicine | Enlightenment, decline of practice, last known sale | 52:11–54:11 | | Final reflections and comedic wrap-up | Comparing Eucharist, encouraging weirdness, humor | 54:11–end |

Episode Takeaways

• “Corpse medicine” was a real, accepted practice for centuries, treating everything from headaches to wounds with ground-up human remains.
• Trade in mummies was global and often fraudulent; executioners cashed in as “suppliers.”
• Many beliefs stemmed from sympathetic magic—the notion that like cures like.
• Western medicine’s history is far more macabre and bizarre than most imagine.
• Humor (and a good dose of incredulousness) is the best way to process how weird history gets.

Ending note:
“Keep it weird, but not so weird that you go to corpse medicine as a way to treat your ailments. It's not going to work.” — Elena (55:24)

This episode delivers historical shock, genuine laughs, and a wild ride through humanity’s strangest medicinal ideas. Don’t try any of it at home—stick to enjoying the outrageously weird side of history with Ash and Alaina.