

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

Dec 1, 2019 • 41min
Sawbones: Yes Virginia, There Are More Medical Questions
We're marking our 300th episode (OK, it's our 301st) by answering all of your pressing medical questions. Can you really poke your brain through your nose? Where do boob crumbs come from? Listen for that and so much more! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 25, 2019 • 33min
Sawbones: The Man Behind the Knick
This week on the 300th (!) episode of Sawbones, meet William Halstead, the father of American surgery, the man who inspired Cinemax's The Knick and ... a great advocate for cocaine. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 15, 2019 • 45min
Sawbones: Food Sensitivity Testing
The market is flooded with at-home tests that let you "take medical care into your own hands" but is that something you even want in your hands? Are they reliable? Also, is Justin really going to give up cereal? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Nov 3, 2019 • 43min
Sawbones: Auto-Brewery Syndrome
On Sawbones, we take pride in our ability to detangle medical myth from fact and give you the truth about the human body. This week on Sawbones ... things aren't so clear. You may need a stiff drink for this one ... unless your body is making them already? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 25, 2019 • 40min
Sawbones: Cough Drops
William Goldman wrote in The Princess Bride "True love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops." This week on Sawbones, we ruin them. We're really sorry, Bill. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 21, 2019 • 33min
Sawbones: Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin may not have have been a doctor, but he still had a massive impact on the medical field in his time. What were his contributions? And was he ever actually president? You'll have to listen to find out! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 11, 2019 • 40min
Sawbones: The Hippocratic Oath
We've all heard about the oath new doctors have to take before they get their first scalpel and weird head mirror thing. But has it always been the same? Did Hippocrates really make it up? Is "First, do no harm" part of it? We'll answer all that and more on this week's Sawbones. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Oct 4, 2019 • 39min
Sawbones: National Hotel Disease
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin check in with National Hotel Disease, the diarrhea so bad it almost brought down a U.S. presidency. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sep 27, 2019 • 36min
Sawbones: Essential Oils
This week on Sawbones, we talk about the many, many things essential oils can't do for you and the dueling Utah-based companies that insist we're wrong. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sep 20, 2019 • 43min
Sawbones: Garlic
For thousands of years, throughout an unprecedented number of cultures, garlic has been touted for its ability to improve our health. How? Well, by warding off vampires, silly. ... OK, there's some other stuff too. You should probably just listen. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers