How Perkins Tractors Taught Us the Placebo Effect
Criminalia
Shondaland Audio and iHeartPodcasts
4.4 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 2 April 2024
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, if you’re asked to think of a tractor, most of us probably imagine farm equipment. But in the late 18th century, a physician named Elisha Perkins made and sold a different kind of tractor – a device consisting of small metal rods that could cure what ails you simply through touch. And for several years, people were mad for the Perkins Patent Metallic Instruments, or Perkins Tractors as they became popularly known -- even though it all turned out to be what we now know as the placebo effect.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | While we all desperately ached for escapism, Bridgerton, the Shondaland Smash on Netflix, came streaming along, |
| 0:09.7 | now we wait for season two, but in the meantime meantime you can hear how this show came to life with |
| 0:14.9 | the cast, the production team, and the creators of Bridgerton. |
| 0:20.5 | Listen to Bridgerton, the official podcast. |
| 0:24.1 | On the I-HeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, |
| 0:27.0 | or anywhere you get your favorite shows. |
| 0:29.8 | Does your inner monologue ever sound like, I'm never going to be good enough or |
| 0:37.7 | thin enough or I'm too old to start something new? I'm Jess Wiener, cultural expert, |
| 0:43.3 | and the host of Dominant stories. |
| 0:45.3 | Those are all lies designed by culture |
| 0:48.4 | and negative forces to keep you small. |
| 0:53.0 | Listen to Dominant stories with me, Jess Wiener, on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts. |
| 1:00.0 | Hi, this is Ali Wentworth, host of Go Ask Alley. My listeners want more so we are |
| 1:07.9 | digging in. Comedian Amy Schumer. As far as cancel culture goes, I think that the people who are the most afraid and complaining |
| 1:15.4 | about cancel culture are the ones who are in danger of being canceled and they need to take a look |
| 1:19.6 | at themselves. |
| 1:20.6 | I agree with you. |
| 1:21.6 | I'm not worried about it because I know my intentions and I know that I'm like open to evolving. |
| 1:26.0 | Listen to Go Ask Alley every Thursday on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 1:35.0 | Welcome to Criminalia, a production of Shandaland Audio in partnership with IHeart Radio. Today, if you're asked to think of a tractor, |
| 1:50.0 | most of us probably imagine a large farm vehicle. |
| 1:53.8 | But in the late 18th century, a physician named Elisha Perkins |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Shondaland Audio and iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Shondaland Audio and iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.