

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

Aug 24, 2018 • 37min
Sawbones: Perkins' Tractors
Justin and Dr. Sydnee explore the history of Perkins' Tractors which are both 1. not what they sound like and 2. not what they claim to be. Mysterious! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 13, 2018 • 40min
Sawbones: The Placebo Effect
If the pill you've been taking has been helping you, but it's really made of sugar, would you want to know? Those and other thrilling ethical questions await in our discussion of the placebo effect. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Aug 4, 2018 • 44min
Sawbones: CBD Oil
CBD oil is collecting a lot of adherents and getting a lot of buzz due to, in part, it being derived from cannabis. It won't get you high, but is CBD oil the panacea many are promoting it as? Let's discuss on this week's Sawbones! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 22, 2018 • 41min
Sawbones: Applied Kinesiology
This week on Sawbones, we explore a completely groundless testing method based on the same science as Ouija boards that's used by over a third of American chiropractors. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 13, 2018 • 39min
Sawbones: The Bends
In honor of the rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a cave in Thailand, we're discussing the history of dive medicine research that helped make it possible. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jul 6, 2018 • 37min
Sawbones: Ozone
Ozone provides a helpful layer of sunscreen for Earth, but it's toxic to humans. It will come as no surprise to regular Sawbones listeners that we've spent the past couple hundred years trying to jam it in every possible orifice. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 30, 2018 • 36min
Sawbones: Antimony
Imagine an incredible pill that could give you nausea and diarrhea and then once ejected from your body could be reused an endless number of times. Dream no more! Antimony is here! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 24, 2018 • 37min
Sawbones: Ketogenic Diet
You've likely heard a lot about the ketogenic diet lately, but have you heard it wasn't created for weight loss? Maybe you did, Justin didn't. Either way, we'll talk about it and so much more on this week's episode of Sawbones. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 14, 2018 • 1h 1min
Sawbones: Our Mental Health Stories
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about their struggles with mental health. Trigger warning for discussion of depression, anxiety and suicide. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 8, 2018 • 42min
Sawbones: Medical Astrology
Does the position of the sun and the stars at the time of your birth determine your medical history? No! But some people thought it did. Scratch that, still do. Oh, and can we talk about Dr. Oz for a second? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers


