Arsenic And Old Wallpaper

The Box of Oddities

John Elliott and Kat Walls

Society & Culture, True Crime, Comedy

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Victorian homes were supposed to be safe havens of comfort and refinement… but what if the most dangerous thing in the room was the wallpaper? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro uncover the bizarre history of arsenic-laced green wallpaper that quietly poisoned Victorian households, causing mysterious headaches, illness, and even death while families admired their fashionable décor. Then, the show shifts from deadly décor to astonishing resilience with the remarkable true story of Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree, who spent her life bringing healthcare to underserved communities on the Omaha Reservation. It’s a strange mix of bizarre history, hidden dangers, and inspiring real-life heroes—exactly the kind of odd, fascinating stories that make The Box of Oddities such a delightfully weird listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up on the Box of Oddities, Victorian families are dying in their own homes, and the killer might be the wallpaper.
0:06.6	Then we discuss the incredible story of a Native American woman who defied all odds and healed her community.
0:12.7	Next on the Box of Oddities. Welcome to True Spies. The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
0:22.4	Suddenly out of the dark that's appeared in Laubman.
0:24.4	You'll meet the people who live life undercover.
0:27.9	What do they know?
0:29.1	What are their skills?
0:30.3	And what would you do in their position?
0:32.8	Vengeance felt good.
0:34.4	Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.
0:38.9	True spies from Spyscape Studios, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:44.9	Are you earning and investing in the stock market? In real estate? How about in relationships?
0:51.4	Are you earning and investing in your life? I'm Doc G, semi-retired hospice physician
0:56.8	and host of the Earn and Invest podcast where we have the 201 or next level conversations about
1:02.4	money and life. Not only how you make money and grow it, but also how you use your wealth to create a better
1:08.0	and more fulfilling existence. Join us every Monday and Thursday wherever you listen to Fine Podcasts.
1:15.4	The Box of Oddities.
1:18.5	Do you ever wonder things like how many calories are in that Ottoman?
1:25.9	Actually, it's weird you say that because last night in the middle of the night, I was
1:30.6	standing in the kitchen and I was wondering if the refrigerator light thinks I'm checking
1:37.2	on it specifically, that's the reason I keep opening the refrigerator door in the middle
1:42.2	of the night, just to make sure the light's okay.
	...

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