Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine - podcast cover

Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroysawbones.simplecast.com
Join Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy for a tour of all the dumb, bad, gross, weird and wrong ways we've tried to fix people.

Episodes

Sawbones: Bleach

This week on Sawbones, an unnerving look into the upsettingly modern invention of ingesting bleach for medicinal uses. Content warning: This episode includes descriptions of "therapies" that are being used primarily on children and other vulnerable populations. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 04, 201945 minEp. 274

Sawbones: Why Doctors Don't Fix Teeth

We've joked a lot about how Dr. Sydnee doesn't know much about teeth, but this week we're explaining exactly why. It all goes back ... to The Historic Rebuff. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 26, 201944 minEp. 273

Sawbones: Warfarin

Sure, an episode about a common blood thinner may not sound particularly sexy. But we'd bet that once you hear the inspiring story of how moldy hay became a life saving medicine (with a detour as a rat poison) you may think differently. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 19, 201935 minEp. 272

Sawbones: Cavities

Dr. Sydnee finally took a much belated trip to the dentists office and she and Justin are celebrating in the only way they know how: Digging through all the retched ways we've tried to fix teeth since the dawn of time. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 12, 201938 minEp. 271

Sawbones: Pinworms

We recorded this episode of Sawbones live on the Joco Cruise 2019. ( Book your cabin for 2020 now , they're filling up fast!) When confronted with the beauty of the ocean and cool island breezes, Dr. Sydnee's mind turns to the only rational place: Pinworms. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 07, 201943 minEp. 270

Sawbones: Modern Day Snake Oil Salespeople

Often on Sawbones, we talk about pushers of false cures as if snake oil is a relic of a bygone era. This week on a special MaxFunDrive episode of Sawbones, a reminder that snake oil salespeople are just a present as ever. DONATE NOW! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 29, 201952 minEp. 269

Sawbones: Broken Heart Syndrome

This week on Sawbones to celebrate the Maximum Fun Drive we've got a special crossover episode with Shmanners! Let's talk about broken heart syndrome (which is exactly what we'll have if you don't donate!) DONATE NOW! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 22, 201946 minEp. 268

Sawbones: Medical Legends of Alabama

Did you know that Alabama has been the home of some huge medical milestones? It's true! Join us as we share the inspirational, hilarious and terrifying medical legends of The Yellowhammer State. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 15, 201933 minEp. 267

Sawbones: Stroke

Today, we're honoring the memory of Luke Perry who passed away this week after a stroke. We'll be talking about the history of strokes, but more importantly teach you how to help prevent them and how to spot them when they happen. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 08, 201937 minEp. 266

Sawbones: Rubella

This week on Sawbones we complete our three-part series on the MMR vaccine as we make you an honorary Rubella Fighter. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 01, 201941 minEp. 265

Sawbones: Auriculotherapy

Everybody loves harnessing the power of reflexology, but what if you want all the great, totally real, not at all fabricated benefits of reflexology, but don't wanna touch people's feet? Friends, auriculotherapy is here for you. ... You're OK with touching ears, right? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 22, 201940 minEp. 264

Sawbones: Mumps

This week on Sawbones we return to the MMR vaccine, specifically the "mumps" part. We'll also meet the brilliant mind behind the vaccine and the tragic reason he never gets the credit he's due. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 15, 201941 minEp. 263

Tom Brady's Snake Oil

Besides being a king of football and all around touchdown master, did you know Tom Brady endorses a training and nutrition regimen co-created by a guy who got in trouble with the FTC for selling fake cancer pills? Let's talk about TB12. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 05, 201938 minEp. 262

Sawbones: Rock Medicine

This week on Sawbones, we'll meet a San Francisco doctor that reimagined how we care for people with drug addiction and got a hit put out on himself in the process. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 01, 201942 minEp. 261

Sawbones: Bizarro World

Imagine a world where Sawbones never existed, medical progress was halted and false wellness ran rampant. That's the horrifying world painted by a recent issue of The Times that Dr. Sydnee and Justin are going to guide you through this week. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jan 25, 201944 minEp. 260

Sawbones: Alkaline Water

As shelves seem to be overtaken by "pH-balanced" beverages, alkaline water has moved from the fringes into the mainstream. This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin see if every human malady really can be fixed by low-pH water. (Spoiler: No.) Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jan 12, 201946 minEp. 259

Sawbones: Colic and Gripe Water

Gripe water and colic are a match made in Sawbones heaven: A cure-all and a catch all. This week, we'll explore the history of how a misunderstood diagnosis has helped keep a made-up medicine on the shelves. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jan 04, 201939 minEp. 258

A Sawbones Special Presentation: A Medicine Called Christmas

Live from Candlenights 2018, we're so proud to present a staged reading of the new Hallmark Christmas movie written by Justin and Sydnee McElroy: A Medicine Called Christmas. Music: Adam Sakiyama CAST: Narrator: Rachel McElroy Daniel: Tommy Smirl Tabitha: Sydnee McElroy Phil: Griffin McElroy Chris: Justin McElroy Ms. Crimble: Teresa McElroy Mr. Frankson: Dwight Slappe Mr. Cameron: Travis McElroy Beth: Teylor Smirl Mandy: Rileigh Smirl Mr. Golfberg: Michael Meadows Santa: Clint McElroy...

Dec 24, 201833 minEp. 257

Sawbones: Vitamin B17

This week's episode of Sawbones is all about "Vitamin B17" which is, brace yourself ... not a vitamin. Yup, it's gonna be one of those sorts of episodes. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Dec 15, 201840 minEp. 256

Sawbones: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

When Dr. Sydnee and Justin find themselves in Colorado, an episode on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever seems a natural fit ... except it's not really that common in Colorado. But when the story of a disease is able to tie together cow-dipping terrorism and frozen food, how can they resist? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Dec 02, 201832 minEp. 255

Sawbones: The Herpes Thanksgiving Special

This Thanksgiving, Dr. Sydnee and Justin invite you on their ambitious quest to use the biggest family meal of the year to destigmatize herpes. No more waiting for your problematic uncle to make things weird; this you're YOU'LL be the one starting uncomfortable conversations. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 21, 201836 minEp. 254

Sawbones: Black Salve

Would you believe that the hot new (very old) alternative medicine paste that indiscriminately burns your cells off is bad for you? We know, we were shocked too. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 16, 201837 minEp. 253

Sawbones: Jilly Juice

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin take a swig from the new miracle drink Jilly Juice, which can not only cure every disease but can regrow limbs! (It can't, it makes you puke and poop and that's it, but you should listen anyway.) Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 09, 201841 minEp. 252

Sawbones: Your Weird Questions, Our Weirder Answers

We've spotted a boatload of your weird medical questions on the horizon and we've pointed our knowledge cannons at it and we're ... sinking it? Listen, the metaphor got away from us. We're sorry. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 03, 201838 minEp. 251

Sawbones: Possession

This week on Sawbones, we detail all the real medical conditions that have been mistaken for demonic possession and the modern day psychiatrists that are pushing for possession to be taken more seriously. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 28, 201833 minEp. 250

Sawbones: 27 Reasons Why You Should Get a Flu Shot

Dr. Sydnee and Justin asked why you, their beloved listeners, haven't gotten a flu shot and now they're taking 27 (yes, 27) of your most common excuses and blowing them to smithereens. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 21, 201847 minEp. 249

Sawbones: Dr. Price's Bad Ideas

Dr. Price was a dentist with some pretty bad ideas about nutrition. That probably wouldn't have merited an appearance on Sawbones ... except those bad ideas went on to inspire a terrifying modern following. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 13, 201837 minEp. 248

Sawbones: The Oregon Trail

This week Justin and Dr. Sydnee try desperately to save you from cholera on a grand tour of the many different ways to die on The Oregon Trail. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (Apologies if your player downloads this episode twice, we had an issue with the file we're trying to troubleshoot.)

Oct 08, 201835 minEp. 247

Sawbones: Vasectomy

You had to see this one coming. Yes, just a few short weeks after Justin's surgery, Dr. Sydnee decides to explain the complete history of vasectomies in excruciating detail in front a few thousand of their closest friends. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sep 30, 201832 minEp. 246

Sawbones: Medical Illustration

We take for granted that we know what bodies look like on the inside, but this week on Sawbones we honor those brave pioneers that had to draw them for the very first time. Also Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore the scandal behind the most famous book of medical illustrations. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sep 21, 201843 minEp. 245
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