Ed Helms

There are people walking around town with a condition nicknamed Jake Leg, which causes the legs to twitch uncontrollably. By now, it's common knowledge that lots of ill-gotten hooch has serious, even fatal side effects. But people are still drinking it. The Yankees have their own formidable tag team, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

There are people walking around town with a condition nicknamed Jake Leg, which causes the legs to twitch uncontrollably. By now, it's common knowledge that lots of ill-gotten hooch has serious, even fatal side effects. But people are still drinking it. The Yankees have their own formidable tag team, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

They're both in the midst of incredible seasons, smashing homers and breaking records. But in the bottom of the first, the Chicago pitcher gets Gehrig to ground out into a fielder's choice, intentionally walks the great Bambino. Oh, come on, pitch to him. Scary cut. And retires the side without letting up a run. Gettler puffs his cigar and cogitates.

They're both in the midst of incredible seasons, smashing homers and breaking records. But in the bottom of the first, the Chicago pitcher gets Gehrig to ground out into a fielder's choice, intentionally walks the great Bambino. Oh, come on, pitch to him. Scary cut. And retires the side without letting up a run. Gettler puffs his cigar and cogitates.

There's been a commotion upstate in Buffalo where the health commissioner is alleging that dozens of recent deaths, chalked up to heart disease or apoplexy, were actually the work of methyl alcohol. In his own lab at Bellevue, Alexander's been seeing some downright bizarre things in his test results. And I don't mean the sludge he makes out of dead people. That's all in a day's work.

There's been a commotion upstate in Buffalo where the health commissioner is alleging that dozens of recent deaths, chalked up to heart disease or apoplexy, were actually the work of methyl alcohol. In his own lab at Bellevue, Alexander's been seeing some downright bizarre things in his test results. And I don't mean the sludge he makes out of dead people. That's all in a day's work.

But the chemicals he's finding in that sludge? Well, they're getting weirder and weirder. Pyridine? What the? Pyridine is colorless and highly flammable. It's commonly found in herbicides and insecticides. In other words, it's poison. Gettler knows the mafiosos distributing tainted liquor aren't afraid to get their hands a little dirty. But still, intentionally serving people insecticide?

But the chemicals he's finding in that sludge? Well, they're getting weirder and weirder. Pyridine? What the? Pyridine is colorless and highly flammable. It's commonly found in herbicides and insecticides. In other words, it's poison. Gettler knows the mafiosos distributing tainted liquor aren't afraid to get their hands a little dirty. But still, intentionally serving people insecticide?

and it gets weirder. There's also kerosene and industrial benzene, commonly found in rubber and gas. Now, you don't need to be chief toxicologist of Bellevue Medical Center to know kerosene and alcohol are a bad mix, but never one to jump to conclusions.

and it gets weirder. There's also kerosene and industrial benzene, commonly found in rubber and gas. Now, you don't need to be chief toxicologist of Bellevue Medical Center to know kerosene and alcohol are a bad mix, but never one to jump to conclusions.

Gettler wonders if there's a way these victims might have accidentally consumed these poisons, which sounds crazy, but he's actually seen a lot of it.

Gettler wonders if there's a way these victims might have accidentally consumed these poisons, which sounds crazy, but he's actually seen a lot of it.

Back in 1925, a dozen women died, and at least 50 more became ill with mysterious symptoms, including necrosis of the jaw. Since they all worked at the same watch factory, the cases were assumed to be connected. However, the company doctors tried to sweep it all under the rug. That's when Gettler was called in. He ran some tests and figured out exactly what was going on.

Back in 1925, a dozen women died, and at least 50 more became ill with mysterious symptoms, including necrosis of the jaw. Since they all worked at the same watch factory, the cases were assumed to be connected. However, the company doctors tried to sweep it all under the rug. That's when Gettler was called in. He ran some tests and figured out exactly what was going on.

In order to make the watch faces glow in the dark, the workers painted them with radium, which, just like it sounds, is radioactive. The radium girls, as they came to be known, had been licking their paintbrushes to wet them as they painted, unknowingly consuming toxic radium every time. So now back to these latest poisonings by benzene and kerosene.

In order to make the watch faces glow in the dark, the workers painted them with radium, which, just like it sounds, is radioactive. The radium girls, as they came to be known, had been licking their paintbrushes to wet them as they painted, unknowingly consuming toxic radium every time. So now back to these latest poisonings by benzene and kerosene.

Maybe all of these victims worked at a rubber tire factory and they were all roommates in a building heated by burning kerosene, but probably not. Gettler can't find any connection between them, apart from the unique blend of the poisons that killed them.

Maybe all of these victims worked at a rubber tire factory and they were all roommates in a building heated by burning kerosene, but probably not. Gettler can't find any connection between them, apart from the unique blend of the poisons that killed them.

Each of these chemicals is gnarly enough on its own, but when you put them together, it becomes clear whoever invented this cocktail had a deeply sinister intent. Benzene brings on a seizure. Kerosene constricts the throat. Pyridine sends agonizing pain shooting through the gut. Still other additives would have made the limbs go stiff.

Each of these chemicals is gnarly enough on its own, but when you put them together, it becomes clear whoever invented this cocktail had a deeply sinister intent. Benzene brings on a seizure. Kerosene constricts the throat. Pyridine sends agonizing pain shooting through the gut. Still other additives would have made the limbs go stiff.