Episode 337 - The Thallium Craze of the 1950s Part 1

Weird Crap in Australia

In the 1950s, Australia was gripped by a bizarre and terrifying trend of thallium poisoning, one of the most sinister and mysterious poisoning cases in Australian history. Thallium, a highly toxic metal, was used in a range of household items, including rat poisons and insecticides, and became the weapon of choice for a number of perpetrators. The poison’s ability to cause severe and often fatal damage to the nervous system made it incredibly difficult to detect, and as such, it led to a series of deaths and illnesses across the country. At the time, symptoms of poisoning were easily mistaken for other diseases, leading to confusion and numerous misdiagnoses.
Join Holly & Matthew as they delve into this shocking chapter of Australian crime history, exploring the chilling details of the poisonings and how they led to greater awareness and safety regulations around toxic substances in Australia.
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"Cell Block Tango" clip - By John Kander and Fred Ebb
Part of the movie "Chicago" (2002)
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