MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries
Episode: Fan Favorite | Blood Feast
Date: August 19, 2025
Host: MrBallen (Wondery | Ballen Studios)
Episode Theme:
A harrowing true story of mass poisoning at the Oregon State Hospital in 1942, exploring how a tragic mistake—born of chaos, confusion, and desperate understaffing during World War II—resulted in dozens of deaths and a medical mystery that would haunt all involved for decades.
Episode Overview
MrBallen recounts the events of a catastrophic night at a psychiatric hospital during WWII, when patients suddenly fell violently ill after dinner. What started as a tale of a routine meal rapidly unravels into a mystery involving accidental poisoning, panic among staff, a desperate hunt for answers, and the tragic fate of a patient unfairly blamed. The episode delves into themes of medical mismanagement, mental health stigma, wartime resource scarcity, and the chilling consequences of a fatal error.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Setting the Scene: A Sudden Outbreak (00:17–04:00)
- In November 1942 at Oregon State Hospital, the hospital is severely understaffed due to the war. The kitchen relies on a handful of overworked staff and even trustworthy patients as helpers.
- On November 18, cook Mickey McKillop and patient-volunteer George Nosen prepare a dinner of egg yolks and toast for almost 500 patients.
- Food supplies are scarce, mostly provided by federal surplus; nurse-to-patient ratios dangerously low, especially at night.
- “More than four hundred patients had fallen violently ill in the past twelve hours, and dozens had died.” —Narrator (00:50)
The Chaos Unleashed: The Catastrophe Unfolds (04:45–13:45)
- Dinner begins as normal, but the scene rapidly descends into nightmare:
- Patients begin vomiting blood, experiencing seizures, and losing feeling in their limbs. Some die almost immediately.
- Nurses and staff are thrown into chaos, with one attempting to spoon-feed patients baking soda out of desperation.
- Dr. William Lidbeck arrives to a “horrible scene”—patients writhing, blood everywhere, staff overwhelmed.
- “It sounded like every patient inside of the building was in agony.” —Narrator (10:33)
- The outbreak is isolated to wards that ate the eggs; one ward, where the head nurse found the eggs tasted spoiled and stopped her patients from eating, remains unaffected apart from her own mild illness.
- “She had taken one bite and they had tasted so spoiled that she ordered all her patients not to eat them, and so her patients were fine.” —Narrator (12:15)
The Mystery Deepens: Sabotage or Mistake? (16:30–20:00)
- The next day, the governor fears wartime sabotage—worried the eggs were intentionally poisoned as an Axis attack.
- FDA halts all shipments from the egg batch; similar outbreaks feared nationwide.
- “Governor Sprague shuddered at the thought of a spy for the Axis powers poisoning innocent Americans.” —Narrator (17:13)
Scientific Detective Work: Pinpointing the Cause (20:00–22:45)
- Hospital superintendent Dr. John Evans conducts a rat experiment:
- One plate of eggs from dinner, one from the freezers.
- Only rats eating dinner eggs die, confirming the poison was added locally, not before shipment.
- “This wasn’t a case of mass contamination or widespread enemy conspiracy. The eggs were clearly just fine when they arrived at the hospital before something or someone poisoned them.” —Narrator (21:49)
- The poison is identified as sodium fluoride—cockroach poison.
The Truth Emerges: Tragic Human Error (25:37–29:18)
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After hours of police interrogation, cook Mickey confesses:
- During prep, George Nosen, the patient/assistant, unwittingly went to the wrong storeroom and fetched a large tin of what he thought was powdered milk—but was sodium fluoride.
- Five pounds of poison ended up in the eggs because George, confused and untroubled, unknowingly used the pest killer instead of milk.
- Mickey and boss Mary O’Hare were initially charged, but charges were dropped: the real tragedy was institutional neglect and desperate conditions.
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“That fateful night, George had taken the keys to the storeroom and headed down to the basement, but he went into the wrong storeroom... he brought back a heaping scoop of white powder that he believed was powdered milk, but it wasn’t.” —Narrator (26:56)
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“Well George had accidentally spiked the eggs with five pounds of poison.” —Narrator (27:56)
Tragic Consequences and Legacy (28:00–End)
- The hospital was found responsible; systemic failures, not criminal intent, were the real culprit.
- George Nosen is devastated and never leaves the hospital—remaining institutionalized for 41 more years, bullied and traumatized, until his death from injuries sustained in an altercation in 1983.
- “The only person who suffered any real consequences for the mistake was George, who was unable to leave Oregon State Hospital for another 41 years.” —Narrator (28:26)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On the outbreak’s horror:
“The hallway was full of patients sitting on the floor with their backs up against the wall, coughing blood into their laps. One man had been strapped to a gurney in the hallway, spasming wildly, blood running down the front of his shirt…”
—Narrator (11:07) -
On desperation and guesswork:
“She didn't know how to reverse it, but she was just hoping that baking soda would help alleviate their stomach pain.”
—Narrator (11:54) -
On wartime paranoia:
“Sprague shuddered at the thought of a spy for the Axis powers poisoning innocent Americans.”
—Narrator (17:13) -
On systemic failure:
“The hospital was held liable since the real culprit was gross understaffing.”
—Narrator (28:17) -
On George’s fate:
“George was never the same after that night. He couldn't forgive himself for what he'd done, even if it was just a tragic mistake.”
—Narrator (28:35)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:17–04:00: Setting—Oregon State Hospital, scene and staff shortages
- 04:45–13:45: Dinner service, poisoning event, chaos in the wards
- 16:30–20:00: State and federal response, fears of sabotage
- 20:00–22:45: Rat experiments, sodium fluoride discovered
- 25:37–29:18: Confession, explanation of events, institutional blame, aftermath for George
- 28:00–End: Consequences, George's fate, closing reflection
Takeaway
In a chilling, true medical tragedy, institutional neglect and human error in desperate times led to a mass poisoning. The case is a sobering reminder of the fragility of care systems under pressure, the vulnerability of the marginalized, and the lasting cost of honest mistakes. MrBallen weaves empathy, suspense, and horror into a story that is as heart-stopping as it is thought-provoking.
For more haunting tales or to listen to future episodes early, follow MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries on Wondery or your podcast app of choice.
