When the people sworn to save lives become serial killers, their medical knowledge transforms into the perfect weapon for murder — and these are their horrifying true stories.

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IN THIS EPISODE: H.H. Holmes allegedly killed as many as 200 people by luring visitors to his lair during the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The 100 rooms of the house he built, were filled with trapdoors, gas chambers, staircases to nowhere, and a human-sized stove. But now, some historians say many of the gruesome stories about Doctor Holmes may be myth! (The Doctor And His Murder Castle) *** Michael Swango was an MD. He was a doctor. But the MD after his name could just as easily have represented “Master of Death”, or “Many Dead” - because there were. Up to sixty of his patients died by his own hands before he was stopped. (Doctor of Death) *** Dr. Buck Ruxton’s brutal deeds earned the surgeon a grim nickname… the Savage Surgeon. (The Savage Surgeon) *** During his 26-year reign at the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Henry Cotton performed over 645 twisted operations in which he tried to "save" the mentally ill. (The Horrifying Cures of Dr. Cotton) *** Stubbins Ffirth was so determined to learn about Yellow Fever in the late 1700s that he purposely exposed himself to those who had it. But HOW he exposed himself is an utter nightmare and will curl your stomach. (The Insane Experiment of Stubbins Ffirth) *** Horrifying medical experiments on twins helped Nazis justify the Holocaust, and at the center of it was Dr. Josef Mengele. (The Nazi Angel of Death) *** We’ll also look at a few other derailed doctors and nurses who had an unhealthy appetite for lobotomies, blisters, and the plague. (Doctors of Evil) *** Doctors killing or experimenting on patients isn’t confined to human victims, some animal experiments were equally as gruesome or bizarre. For example, what would happen if you gave an elephant LSD? (Strange Medical Experiments)
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:04.570 = Show Open
00:05:03.929 = The Doctor And His Murder Castle
00:12:45.823 = Doctor of Death
00:24:08.702 = The Savage Surgeon
00:32:07.800 = The Horrifying Cures of Dr. Cotton
00:39:54.355 = The Insane Experiment of Stubbins Firth
00:44:18.487 = The Nazi Angel of Death
00:55:04.710 = Evil Doctors
01:23:29.248 = Strange Medical Experiments
01:27:10.308 = Show Outro
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Doctor And His Murder Castle” by Becky Little for History: https://tinyurl.com/y842s6b5
“Doctor of Death” by Xavier Piedra for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/ycrhsvfu
“The Savage Surgeon” by Robert Walsh for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/ufhzmpf
“The Horrifying Cures of Dr. Cotton” by Laura Martisiute for All That’s Interesting: https://tinyurl.com/y987en4v
“The Insane Experiment of Stubbins Ffirth” from Alpha History: https://tinyurl.com/y8hknxsx
“The Nazi Angel of Death” by Erin Blakemore for History: https://tinyurl.com/uhecxjq
“Evil Doctors” by Kaitlyn Johnstone for The Line Up, https://tinyurl.com/y9ze8p4z; Linda Girgis, MD for Physicians Weekly, https://tinyurl.com/ya7po8qs and; Gabe Paoletti for All That’s Interesting, https://tinyurl.com/yaraqzod; and Ranker Crime, https://tinyurl.com/y76nebzh
“Strange Medical Experiments” by Alex Boese for The Scientist: https://tinyurl.com/ya48h2g7
=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: October 24, 2021
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MedicalMonsters
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