

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

Jun 16, 2016 • 27min
Sawbones: The Presidents Are Sick
The presidents have, by and large, all been sick, sick men. We're going to talk about exactly how sick as Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore presidential disease. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 9, 2016 • 29min
Sawbones: Pliny the Elder
In a way, it's all lead up to this. Live from the PlayStation theater in New York City, we've finally dedicated an entire episode to Pliny the Elder, patron saint of Sawbones. Also: A musical number! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Jun 1, 2016 • 33min
Sawbones: Mary Roach
Holy crap you guys, we talked to Mary Roach! Yes, THAT Mary Roach, the author of Gulp, Bonk, Spook and her newest, Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, due out in early June. We spoke with Roach about a history of wrong thinking on diarrhea, why the military kept weather-related secrets from her and the Medicare code for maggots. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 28, 2016 • 36min
Sawbones: Kombucha
If you, like us, have been seeing kombucha everywhere, you've probably heard about it's many, many health benefits. Like, SO MANY health benefits. You know what ... you've listened to Sawbones for a while, right? You know where this is going. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 20, 2016 • 35min
Sawbones: Kidney Stones
It's time to talk about the ailment so scary that Hippocrates told other doctors they shouldn't mess with it: Kidney stones. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 12, 2016 • 33min
Sawbones: Bezoars
If you found a lump of hair in an animal's stomach, would you first thought be "Huh, I bet that will help cure poison!" No? See, that's why you'll never cut it as an old-timey person. Let's talk about bezoars! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

May 5, 2016 • 35min
Sawbones: Tinnitus
Discover the quirky history of tinnitus, from ancient beliefs to modern struggles with this pesky ailment. Personal anecdotes mix with humor as hosts explore bizarre treatments like snake skin smoke and donkey dung. Dive into the cultural interpretations of ringing ears, particularly whimsical myths from the Animate tribe. The episode critiques historical figures in audiology while discussing the frustrations of living with tinnitus. Plus, an inspiring call to support charitable efforts for those in need adds a heartfelt touch!

Apr 29, 2016 • 31min
Sawbones: Goofiest Medical Questions Vol. 2
We're back with answers to more of
the medical questions so goofy you're afraid to ask your
doctor.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 21, 2016 • 32min
Sawbones: Earaches
Last week on Sawbones, we moved into your ear. This week on Sawbones, we're staying put with an episoe about the dizzying number of ways we've profaned mice to fix earaches.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Apr 15, 2016 • 33min
Sawbones: Earwax
This week on Sawbones, we make earwax way, way worse before we remove all of it. Well, most of it. You gotta leave some you know, it's good for you. Eh, you should probably just listen.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers