

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

Sep 13, 2019 • 53min
Sawbones: Vaping
On Sawbones, we like to take a lot of hard lines and make grand proclamations: Vaccines good, viruses bad, that sort of thing. But when it comes to vaping, things get a little ... cloudier? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sep 9, 2019 • 42min
Sawbones: Hydrotherapy
Water: There's plenty of it, it's not obviously poisonous and it's cheap as all get out. Maybe THAT'S the answer to all our species' medical woes? ... It's not, but if you've ever listened to Sawbones before you see where this episode (recorded live in beautiful Atlanta) is going. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 30, 2019 • 40min
Sawbones: The HPV Vaccine
A vaccine that can practically eliminate a type of human cancer should be cause for celebration across our species. Would it surprise it to learn that some people don't trust it? ... Probably not at this point, huh? This week on Sawbones: The HPV vaccine. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 26, 2019 • 38min
Sawbones: Sneezing
Welcome to all the owners of human bodies! You're gonna love these things, they can run, jump ... and every once in a while they uncontrollably blast snot out of your face at 100 MPH. This week on Sawbones: Sneezing. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 18, 2019 • 47min
Sawbones: Fever
Any species could have created a bunch of bogus ways to treat fevers. But only humans could use fevers as a bogus treatment for other stuff and then end up being sort of right about it. This week on Sawbones, we're burning down the house. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 4, 2019 • 31min
Sawbones: Eli Lilly's Secret Pot Farm
One of the nation's leading pharmaceutical companies once maintained one of the biggest marijuana farms in the country. This week on Sawbones, how Eli Lilly lost its taste for pot, and why it refuses to acknowledge its past. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 26, 2019 • 41min
Sawbones: Yes, More Medical Questions Answered!
Does medicated chap stick doing anything? What are doctors hiding? Why can't you keep your bones? This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin bring you answers to these questions and many more on a new Q&A episode! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 19, 2019 • 33min
Sawbones: The Chattanooga Medicine Company
This week on Sawbones, live from the historic Ryman Auditorium, hear the patent medicine company so insidious they made Dolly Parton sing about laxatives on one of the biggest stages in country music. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 12, 2019 • 41min
Sawbones: Medical Reversals
You're well acquainted with all of humanity's history of medical mistakes, but even modern medicine changes it's mind from time to time. This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explain what a medical reversal looks like! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 30, 2019 • 36min
Sawbones: Wine
We all know that consuming wine has no downsides whatsoever, but did you know it also has some amazing health benefits as well?! It's true! (Depending on your definition of "benefits" ... and "health" and ... OK, and "amazing" too. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers