Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

You'll never believe what people are doing on TikTok now. Borax is a salt you might have in your home: it's an active ingredient in many contact solutions, so it doesn't sound especially good to eat. Dr. Sydnee talks about the different reasons people on the internet are drinking it, the history of borax, and the actual science behind it. But the bottom line is: please do not drink borax.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

John Green recently made a video asking Johnson & Johnson not to extend their patent on a tuberculosis drug, which would keep it exclusive and expensive. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about how drug patents work, the recent (good) update about bedaquiline specifically, and the next steps that pharmaceutical companies and the government need to make to keep life-saving drugs affordable. We’re back to classic Sawbones, keeping tabs on Big Pharma again.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Now that there have been malaria cases popping up in the United States, we bring the full episode about the disease from 2015. So learn all about malaria in the past, and Dr. Sydnee will have an update about malaria in the present. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Sound can sometimes be therapeutic, like listening to white noise to help fall asleep. But can a big egg-shaped hut use the theory of quantum realms and vibrations to cure everything with love and frequencies? Um . . . no. But someone seemed to think so. Dr. Sydnee and Justin explain the Harmonic Egg, how it’s supposed to work, and how it came about.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Start the summer off smarter with the answers to listener medical questions! What old-timey diseases should I worry about if I time travel? Are meat sweats a real thing? Is there any risk in being exposed to drugs in giving someone mouth-to-mouth? And why does Aleve get the short end of the stick when it comes to choice painkillers?Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Most people have probably heard of gangrene, a condition that causes tissue to become necrotic. But Fournier’s Gangrene is a more . . . targeted version, specifically affecting the perineum, or taint. Justin and Dr. Sydnee discuss who Dr. Fournier was and how he (deservedly or not) put his name on this very specific infection.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Sometimes Sawbones covers timely topics, like the latest adulterant in a substance people like to put in their bodies. Xylazine, or “tranq,” is the new one exacerbating the opioid crisis. Dr. Sydnee talks about the history of Xylazine and how to approach it now. But all in all, the best way to help would be to stop managing a medical condition with the justice system instead of health care.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Recently, the FDA has updated their guidelines on who can donate blood and when – an update that has long been demanded. So we bring the full episode about Dr. Charles Drew and the history of blood donation, along with the new guidelines and why these changes were finally made.Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Live from Columbus, Ohio, home of the first Wendy's, and also COSI, the Center of Science and Industry! Justin and Dr. Sydnee bring forward one of the world's oldest medical mysteries: what happened to King Tut?Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

The third Hepatitis to be discovered, appropriately named Hepatitis C, is an infection that primarily affects the liver, but often has non-specific symptoms. Dr. Sydnee and Justin trace the strange history of this virus, how it spreads, and why testing for it is more important than ever.  Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/