Parts of the US are currently in the midst of a triple-demic, a very scary phrase, so Dr. Sydnee is here to break down the third illness: Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV. It’s a virus that’s common among everyone, but can be dangerous for some people. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about what it is, why it is suddenly prevalent in adults, and what can be done to help prevent the spread (hint: wear a mask). Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show...
Dec 13, 2022•38 min•Ep. 438
This week, Justin takes the wheel and finally gets to talk about farts, only tangentially in a medical way. Get ready for some fart etymology, some notable farts in medieval history, fun fart facts, and a little bit about preventing and treating excessive gas and flatulence. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Dec 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 437
In the third and final chapter of the pirate medicine series, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the dreaded Flux. What is the Flux? Well, it involves something coming out of your body in excess . . . and it's not urine. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones
Nov 29, 2022•35 min•Ep. 436
In the second entry in the pirate medicine series, Dr. Sydnee talks about the practice of treating burns aboard a ship. It seems like burns on a ship would not be a problem, but ships are made of wood, and fire + wood = bad. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Nov 22, 2022•30 min•Ep. 435
To celebrate the first new live Sawbones shows since 2020, we're releasing the first in a three-part series exploring the vast array that pirates—in an extremely resource and knowledge-limited setting—tried to keep one another alive through the years. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Nov 16, 2022•32 min•Ep. 434
Have you ever wanted to ask a real doctor questions that aren’t really advice? Dr. Sydnee answers listener questions about infecting yourself with a virus, refusing opioids, and difficult veins. And don’t worry - there are some poop questions as well. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Nov 08, 2022•46 min•Ep. 433
Why not just connect the spiritual and scientific world? That's basically what anthroposophy asks, teaching a philosophical approach to medicine. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the history of this movement and also try to explain what exactly it is. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Oct 25, 2022•41 min•Ep. 432
The eyes are the windows to the soul, but could they also be the windows to all the body's ailments? Dr. Sydnee and Justin discuss iridology, the idea that changes in the eye color could possibly indicate different diseases and conditions – and perhaps even personality traits – although there is very little evidence that any of this is scientifically sound. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at http...
Oct 18, 2022•42 min•Ep. 431
There are many people who have been recurring characters on Sawbones. Pliny the Elder. Charlie. But few so notorious as Dr. Mehmet Oz, now running for the U.S. Senate. This isn’t a commentary on his political fitness; just an examination of his history of questionable medical advice and pop-science claims. CW: Discussion of dieting and weight loss Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximu...
Oct 11, 2022•45 min•Ep. 430
Is schizophrenia the same as having a dissociative identity? Or anti-social disorder? Or being a murderer? No. No. All of these are wrong. Dr. Sydnee breaks down one of the most misunderstood and maligned mental illnesses and how our understanding of symptoms and treatment have changed over the years. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Oct 04, 2022•47 min•Ep. 429
Podcast history is being made here: There are TWO Justin McElroys in this week's episode. We are joined by Justin McElroy, CBC reporter of municipal affairs in Vancouver and British Columbia, as he discusses his role reporting COVID data over the last two and a half years, and the challenges of presenting that information as people seem to be moving on from caring about the pandemic. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus conte...
Sep 27, 2022•42 min•Ep. 428
From our earliest days of life E. coli is among us and within us, living in harmony with the rest of our colonic flora. But this week we're here to discuss the multi-dimensional E. coli's ability to really mess all that up through contaminated romaine and undercooked cheeseburgers. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Sep 20, 2022•39 min•Ep. 427
Extra, extra! It’s the first edition of the Sawbones Medical News, updates on what’s going on in the world of medicine. We’ve got the newest reports on Monkey Pox vaccines and the hot new COVID-19 booster. Plus, an analysis of Dr. Oz’s interesting medical care advice. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Sep 13, 2022•41 min•Ep. 426
Starting In 1915, cases of something known as encephalitis lethargica started popping up around the globe. Symptoms were varied, but included some sort of lethargy or tiredness, with some more extreme manifestations. But exactly how many people were infected and what exactly caused this remains one of medical history’s greatest mysteries. So, yeah, we’re going to leave you hanging on that. Sorry. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unloc...
Aug 30, 2022•35 min•Ep. 425
In the 1880s, anatomist Rufus Weaver worked meticulously to extract and mount the human nervous system for study. The nervous system came from a woman named Harriet Cole; but how was it actually obtained? Dr. Sydnee dissects this medical mystery, which is a telling story of who in history is celebrated and who is often forgotten. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbo...
Aug 23, 2022•37 min•Ep. 424
In this episode of Justin McElroy’s Medical Brand Hall of Fame, Justin and Dr. Sydnee are stuck on Band-Aid brand adhesive bandages. Justin goes through the decades of campaigns and jingles, the evolution of bandage technology, and Dr. Dan the Bandage Man to explain how this sticky plaster became a staple for children and clumsy people alike. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun....
Aug 16, 2022•39 min•Ep. 423
Hank Green in 2018 joked that everyone should take Metamucil, the fiber-rich powder that is supposed to help with your BMs. But is he right? Well . . . “should” is a strong word. Dr. Sydnee goes through the history of the supplement itself, made of psyllium, as well as our understanding of fiber and its use in human nutrition. And yeah, you probably aren’t getting enough of it. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Be...
Aug 09, 2022•43 min•Ep. 422
In the late 1800s, Dr. Herbert Snow observed cancer patients and considered that a mix of different medications might do the trick for slowing down its progress. The Brompton Cocktail, as it was called, was mostly cocaine and morphine. Though used for a long time for pain relief, the cocktail proved to have its problems – but maybe not for the reason you would think. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a memb...
Jul 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 421
Around the early 1900s, it was discovered that a high percent of ethanol was useful for killing germs, and worked great if there was no available soap and water. Dr. Sydnee and Justin go through viral internet stories and odd patents to explain how we eventually landed on the hand sanitizer we know and love today. Hey, if you can, though, wash your hands. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https:...
Jul 19, 2022•39 min•Ep. 420
The overturning of Roe has created an astounding number of questions and problems, and the fact is that we don’t know for sure how the landscape will change in the next few years or even months. This week, Dr. Sydnee uses the best available information to answer listener questions about what the Roe decision means for those seeking medical care related to pregnancy, including the morning after pill, vasectomies as contraception, and ectopic pregnancies. Addendum: There is a prescription form of ...
Jul 05, 2022•45 min•Ep. 419
Back in 1917 radium was all the rage. The fact that it glowed made people believe it was healthy and important, so they included it in things like toothpaste, cosmetics, even water. The Radium Girls, factory workers who used radium-laced paints to detail watch faces, were among the first to indicate that it may not be as safe as we imagined. Charlie McElroy is here to tell us about their fight for workplace safety. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support ...
Jun 28, 2022•39 min•Ep. 418
What’s the deal with vomiting? Justin and Dr. Sydnee meditate on the various ways we get nauseated, from smelling something gross to getting hit in a sensitive spot, and what we’ve done over the years to help alleviate it. Although sometimes kids just vomit for no reason and we can’t really help you there. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Jun 22, 2022•41 min•Ep. 417
We’re back with Sawbones Medical Questions! Justin acts as stand-in for the listeners while Dr. Sydnee answers questions about tall people getting COVID, eye goop, nose goop, labor organizing in the medical field, and corn in poop. This one’s for the Sawboners. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayer s https://taxpayers.bandcamp.co m/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Jun 07, 2022•38 min•Ep. 416
You may be worried we’re headed into another global health crisis in the form of Monkeypox. But it’s not new, and we already know quite a bit about it. Dr. Sydnee explains what it is, how to treat it, and the recommendations at the moment from the CDC, all compared to COVID (which is now unfortunately our standard for how to relate to potential public health threats). Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a mem...
May 31, 2022•41 min•Ep. 415
With the recent news about Roe v. Wade, it’s important to talk about the history of abortion in the United States. The right to autonomy over one’s own body in regard to medical care is one of the basic tenets of medical ethics; but no matter what anyone personally believes, banning abortion doesn’t stop abortion. It just makes it unsafe. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/...
May 24, 2022•47 min•Ep. 414
The United States is currently in a dire formula shortage, and people are taking to the internet to propose some less than ideal solutions. Dr. Sydnee talks about the origins of how formula came about, how the shortage came about, and why people on the internet are wrong. And just in case you miss the message: do NOT try to make your own formula. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximum...
May 17, 2022•47 min•Ep. 413
Harry Beno (not BEAN-o) one day walked into a barn hungry for biscuits and emerged the poison king. Believing himself immune to strychnine, Beno took to eating poison for an audience. From there his act escalated to the next logical step, hammering nails into his head and burying himself alive. Justin and Dr. Sydnee tell the story of “Beno the Wonder” who confused doctors but couldn’t escape the ultimate Sawbones lesson: don’t drill a hole in your head. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https:...
May 03, 2022•35 min•Ep. 412
Some people believe that men in the world are getting softer and masculinity is under attack. But not to worry, there’s a solution: tanning your . . . nethers. Although the idea of exposing your soft bits to the sun may be embarrassing, there's also, as Dr. Sydnee explains, zero evidence that it's beneficial. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Apr 26, 2022•40 min•Ep. 411
Remember when the Cheerios box said it would lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease? Well, it doesn’t say that anymore because cereal isn’t medicine. But this is just one example in a long history of breakfast cereals claiming to be beneficial to health. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinsawbones...
Apr 19, 2022•42 min•Ep. 410
A very long time ago, in 2019, we talked about the Corrupted Blood plague, a pandemic within the World of Warcraft. How it affected the digital world was used as a model for how people might behave during an actual real-life pandemic. Well . . . we’ve got that real-life pandemic now. So how did it actually play out (and is still playing out) versus how it went in-game? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a me...
Apr 12, 2022•36 min•Ep. 409
