Old Timey Crimey #44: Tarrare - "Meow"

The myth, the meme, the man.

This week, special guest Amber joins us to discuss Tarrare, the recently meme-d medical oddity who sent dogs, cats, and anyone with a nose running in fear, probably dry heaving all the way. We'll have some metabolism speculation, lay out a wide swath of theories, and talk about how Tarrare's condition led to a somewhat hilariously failed espionage attempt. When it comes down to it, the real question is: was there was a line in the sand this man's hunger WOULDN'T shove him right past? Make sure to come to our our FB group, Twitter, Reddit, or Insta and tell us which theory (or theories!) you like, or bring us some new ones. You'll be our heroes if you give us a 5-star review! Don't forget about our Patreon, where you can get OTC business cards, access to bonus Old Tiny Crimeys, and exclusive early access to new full eps! Or you can paypal us at oldtimeycrimey@gmail.com. And remember: Pickers unite! Sources: Mark Oliver. “The Story Of Tarrare, The Insatiable Glutton Who Ate Everything From Human Flesh To Live Eels.” All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/tarrare George M. Gould and Walter L. Pyle. “Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine.” http://www.gutenberg.org/files/747/747-h/747-h.htm Emlen, Samuel. “The Journal of Foreign Medical Science and Literature, Volume 10.” https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkT3Tvt2ItUC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false Erica Hersh. “7 Possible Causes for Polyphagia.” https://www.healthline.com/health/polyphagia Kris Levin. “The Medical Mystery Of Tarrare, A Cannibalistic French Spy.” Ripleys Believe it or Not. https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/tarrare/ “Chief Surgeon to the French Army, Commander of the Légion d'Honneur, Baron of the Empire.” Napoleon & Empire. https://www.napoleon-empire.com/personalities/percy.php Esther Inglis-Arkell. “What Caused These Men to Eat Cats and Candles?” Gizmodo. https://io9.gizmodo.com/what-caused-these-men-to-eat-cats-and-candles-1685293458 “Prader-Willi Syndrome.” NIH – Genetics Home Reference. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/prader-willi-syndrome “Pica.” National Eating Disorder Association. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/pica wikipedia.org names.org reddit.com/r/theydidthemonstermath vox.com Fortean Times