

Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine
Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy
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
Mentioned books

Nov 29, 2022 • 35min
Sawbones: Pirate Medicine Chapter Three
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/

Nov 22, 2022 • 30min
Sawbones: Pirate Medicine Chapter Two
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/

Nov 16, 2022 • 32min
Sawbones: Pirate Medicine Chapter One
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/

Nov 8, 2022 • 46min
Sawbones: Does Shrimp Make My Husband Drunk?
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/

Oct 25, 2022 • 41min
Sawbones: Anthroposophy
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/

Oct 18, 2022 • 42min
Sawbones: Iridology
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/

Oct 11, 2022 • 45min
Sawbones: Dr. Oz
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 lossMusic: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Oct 4, 2022 • 47min
Sawbones: Schizophrenia
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/

Sep 27, 2022 • 42min
Sawbones: How Justin McElroy Became a Trusted Source for COVID News in Canada
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/

Sep 20, 2022 • 39min
Sawbones: E. coli
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/