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

Osmosis Jones

This week on Sawbones, we close out the #MaxFunDrive with a FAR too thorough examination of history's only medical animated comedy in which Bill Murray barfs on Molly Shannon. Let's talk about Osmosis Jones. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 07, 202044 minEp. 335

Dr. Joycelyn Elders

Dr. Joycelyn Elders is an American hero who went from a sharecropper's daughter to the first black Surgeon General of the United States. This is the story of her inspirational rise, her infuriating firing and her inability to stop doing good. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 31, 202045 minEp. 334

Operation Warp Speed

Yes friends, that's the actual name of the U.S. government's race to creation a coronavirus vaccine. It's either radical or a huge embarrassment, depending on which Sawbones co-host you are. This week, we'll talk about the progress so far and what work still remains. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 24, 202050 minEp. 333

Sawbones: Amnesia

In what is perhaps the first and only example of the Fast and Furious franchise inspiring an episode of Sawbones, we're diving into amnesia. We'll see how media portrayals stack up to reality, look at modern therapy and explore the validity of the second bonk. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 18, 202054 minEp. 332

Health Media Literacy

We're being inundated by medical news in the face of COVID-19, but how is the layman supposed to make sense of all it? How can you tell a trustworthy report from simple clickbait? We'll discuss on this week's Sawbones (with a brief tangent about re-opening schools). Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 13, 202054 minEp. 331

Sawbones: The Weight of the Human Soul

An introspective moment on Sawbones this week as we meet the doctor who devoted his life to discovering the weight of the human soul. NOTE: This episode contains discussions of mortality, both human and animal. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 03, 202041 minEp. 330

Systemic Racism in Medical Honors

AOA is a medical honors society that's supposed to separate top-tier medical students from the rest of the pack. It helps determine which doctors get the top jobs in the most competitive fields. The problem? There's implicit racism in the way it chooses members, and fixing it may be a massive challenge. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 26, 202050 minEp. 329

Sawbones: COVID-19 and Bad Data

OK, yes, this is an episode about medical research, but it's the sexiest medical research story you're ever going to hear. It's got scandal! It's got a detective! It's got a sentient robot equipped with anti-gravity technology! We'd type more here, but we have to assume you're already listening. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 12, 202044 minEp. 328

Sawbones: The Black Panthers and Public Health

If you received the typical, white-centric education, you probably associate the Black Panthers only with violence and political protest. This week on Sawbones, we talk about their work in medical research advocacy and creating public health programs that sought to make life better for all black and oppressed people. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 05, 202042 minEp. 327

Sawbones: Medical Racism and Protest Safety

This week on Sawbones, we examine how Black Americans have received substandard care and fewer opportunities within the American medical system. Also, some guidance on how to protest as safely as possible in the face of COVID-19. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 01, 202047 minEp. 326

Sawbones: The Cholera Riots

Fear that the government and doctors were allied in a grand conspiracy to oppress the populace was at a fever pitch. The people took to the streets to prove that they would not abide by quarantine, that they would defy the powers that be and go on about their daily lives. The year is 1831. The disease is cholera. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 22, 202045 minEp. 325

Sawbones: COVID-19 Q&A

It should come as no surprise that the Sawbones inbox has been chockablock with questions about the ongoing ... unpleasantness. This week, we're trying to group your COVID-19 queries in an orderly fashion and answer them to the best of our ability. Well, the best of Sydnee's ability. Justin just talks about dandruff shampoo. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 17, 202053 minEp. 324

Sawbones: Cabin Fever

Did you know that cabin fever isn't just the cooped-up funk we all find ourselves in? It's a real actual disease called typhus -- or at least, it used to be. It's confusing, we know, but this week we're gonna walk you through all the extremely gross details. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 08, 202048 minEp. 323

Sawbones: COVID Lies, Darned Lies and Statistics

Two doctors made headlines this week by trying to construct the narrative that the COVID-19 pandemic has been overblown by the hospital system in pursuit of more profits. This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explain why their numbers don't add up, and how you can combat this narrative if it, depressingly, sticks around. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 01, 202052 minEp. 322

Sawbones: The Most Dangerous Parade

This week on Sawbones, we discuss Philadelphia's disastrous Fourth Liberty Loan Parade that helped reignite the 1918 influenza epidemic in the region. We'll also examine some other unnerving similarities between that century-old disaster and our current situation. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 24, 202049 minEp. 321

Sawbones: Dr. Anthony Fauci and Coronavirus Myths

This week on Sawbones, we dive into the backstory of Dr. Anthony Fauci, a beacon of hope and reason for so many in these troubling days. In the back half of the show, we also talk about a bunch of coronavirus bulls**t that you knew was bulls**t but we're gonna tell you anyway. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers 1

Apr 17, 202053 minEp. 320

Sawbones: Hydroxychloroquine

There are some pushing hydroxychloroquine as a miracle treatment for COVID-19 in a way that should seem familiar (and a little scary) to long-time Sawbones listeners. This week, we'll talk about the long history of this medicine and why promoting it as a COVID-19 cure is so dangerous to those who already depend on it for other (actual scientifically-proven) uses. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 12, 202041 minEp. 319

Sawbones: Ignaz Semmelweis

This week on Sawbones, it's the fascinating, inspiring and infuriating story of Ignaz Semmelweis. You'll learn how he discovered why it was so important for doctor's to wash their hands and why it took so long for doctors to believe him. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 03, 202042 minEp. 318

Sawbones: Masks

The COVID-19 outbreak has recently pushed masks and other protective equipment into the forefront of the global conversation, especially as a shortage threatens medical professionals on the front lines. This week on Sawbones, how masks changed the world of medicine, and what happens when there aren't enough to go around. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 30, 202046 minEp. 317

Sawbones: Coronavirus Part 2

Surprise! This week our medical history podcast is about the biggest medical history event in any of our lifetimes. Let's talk about home testing! Social distancing! And some reflections from Sydnee after a week at the hospital. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 22, 202047 minEp. 316

Sawbones: Revenge of the Weird Medical Questions

Once again, we're putting Justin at peril of being supremely yucked out by your weirdest medical queries: Should your pee smell so good? Why is your earwax that color? Why did your mom choose the name Fred for that blood-filled lump on her leg? Yup, it's a weird one, folks. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 13, 202040 minEp. 315

Sawbones: How Yellow Fever (Nearly) Destroyed Philadelphia

This week on Sawbones, it's the story of how Yellow Fever killed 10 percent of Philadelphia, destroyed the government and made everyone rethink their collection of decorative standing water. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 06, 202039 minEp. 314

Sawbones: Quarantine

For reasons we assume you can guess, we're discussing the history of quarantine, and how its historical misuse should make you particularly alert in the days and weeks to come as the world continues to combat COVID-19. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Mar 02, 202045 minEp. 313

Sawbones: William Cunningham and the Ghouls of Cincinnati

We love grave robbers on Sawbones and ... well, that came out wrong. We don't have a particular affinity for today's grave robbers, but they've played an important role in medical research and ... we're still defending grave robbers, aren't we? OK, listen. Let's start over. This is an episode about a really bad grave robber. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 24, 202031 minEp. 312

Sawbones: Laudable Pus

This week on Sawbones, it's the truly embarrassing story of why we spent several centuries thinking it was important for us to make wounds as pus-filled as possible. There's no nice way of saying it folks: This is a gross one. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 17, 202035 minEp. 311

Sawbones: Body Temperature

This week on Sawbones, things are getting hot! Well, no, come to think of it, they’re doing the opposite. They’re getting colder. And by “they” we mean “we.” We’re getting colder, all of us. Probably. What should you do about it? Nothing. For now, you’ll just have to -- wait for it -- chill. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 10, 202043 minEp. 310

Sawbones: Coronavirus

This week on Sawbones, we've got a no-panic-allowed history of coronavirus along with a guide to the current strain that has held the headlines in a stranglehold in the past weeks. Even if you don't listen to the episode, take heart: If you're outside of China, it's likely you're more scared than you need to be at the moment. Music : "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Feb 02, 202043 minEp. 309

Sawbones: IV Cocktails

Would it surprise you to learn that people with too much money are flocking to "IV bars" and paying hundreds of dollars for intravenous cocktails of vitamins that are supposed to treat every malady under the sun but do absolutely nothing except risk serious infection? ... It probably doesn't surprise you, does it? Yeah, us neither. God, that's depressing. Anyway, here's a podcast. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jan 24, 202046 minEp. 307

Sawbones: Viking's Disease

This week on Sawbones, we celebrate a trip to Minnesota with an exploration of Viking's Disease. You'll meet the people it isn't really named for and the guy who beat out a long line of researchers to get it named after himself. It's a whole thing. You'll see. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jan 19, 202036 minEp. 306

Sawbones: Bidets

We bidets have been all the rage for years around the globe, they never really caught on in the U.S. What part of their seedy history kept them out of American homes? And what (if any) are their health benefits? We've got all that and more on the new Sawbones! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jan 10, 202049 minEp. 305
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