The Formula (Ad-Free)

On Christmas Eve in 1926, a man came running into Bellevue Hospital in New York screaming that Santa Claus had been chasing him for blocks with a baseball bat. Not long after that, he died. And then another person arrived in the emergency room. And then another. This started happening in emergency rooms around the country. And it was happening because of a plan created by the U.S. government. Deborah Blum’s book is The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York . Thank you very much for being a member of Criminal Plus ! We’re grateful for your support. We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery . Listen to them ad-free by adding them to your podcast player. We have step-by-step instructions on your Patreon ⁠⁠⁠account page⁠⁠⁠ . Say hello on Facebook and Instagram . Artwork by Julienne Alexander . Episode transcripts are posted on our website . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices