The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean · Sam Kean, Bleav

Why Keep a Diary of a Toxic Snakebite?

December 3, 2024·17 min·1 clip

After the deadly snakebite, Carl Schmidt takes a 21-mile train ride home and begins documenting his symptoms in a chillingly clinical diary.

This episode tells the story of Carl Schmidt, a world-renowned herpetologist who, in 1957, was bitten by a highly venomous boomslang snake. Instead of seeking immediate treatment, Schmidt chose to meticulously document his own deteriorating symptoms in a diary, resulting in a unique and chilling scientific record of a fatal snakebite. The host explores Schmidt's possible motivations and the tragic, preventable nature of his death.

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