479 episodes
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy
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- Comedy
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4.8 • 14.3K Ratings
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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.
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Sawbones Classic: Santa is Sick
To get you through that holiday slog, we're re-releasing our classic holiday episode all about the ailments Santa could possibly have.
It's Candlenights 2016, and that can only mean one thing: Dr. Sydnee is trying to ruin Christmas again. Join her as she explains to poor, pitiful Justin all of Santa's terrible health risks, recorded live in Huntington, WV.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers -
Sawbones: Dr. Willard Bliss
It was probably the destiny of Dr. Doctor Willard Bliss to become a medical professional, although his career was a real rollercoaster of beliefs and practices. But he obtained the most notoriety for bringing his questionable treatments to one of the most important people in the United States – President James Garfield.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ -
Sawbones: The Ejaculation Panic
In the 1800s, there was a growing concern about spermatorrhea, a condition that involves involuntary and excessive semen leakage or discharge. Some doctors (and people who claimed to be doctors) were quick to come up with some truly terrifying solutions . . . except that it was largely a panic and not really happening at all.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ -
Sawbones: The Intimate Side of a Woman’s Life
What was some of the outdated (though subtly subversive) medical advice given to cisgendered women of the 1930s? Dr. Sydnee and Justin aim to answer that with The Intimate Side of a Woman’s Life by Leona W. Chalmers, with all sorts of tips about douching, period cramps, and sex energy. Thanks to Olivia for sending in the book!
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ -
Sawbones: The Tea That Doesn’t Cure Cancer (and Might Make It Worse)
Often cure-alls cure nothing (and do nothing), but other times they may actually hurt. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the Essiac tea formula, which claims to cure cancer while preventing people from seeking actual helpful medical care.
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ -
Sawbones: Pineapple
There is a claim on the internet that when you eat pineapple, it eats you back. This is actually true! Or more accurately, pineapple contains an enzyme that breaks down tissue. Dr. Sydnee and Justin dive into exactly how this works, as well as the fundamental question: what is an enzyme?
Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/
Customer Reviews
helped me write a good omens fanfiction
i referenced pliney the elder/natural history in it and sawbones is the only reason i know abt him 😔😔 genuinely really good though! i love the mcelroys, they’re super funny and (in this case) informative. i’ve learned so many random trivia facts from this show. hope to see them live someday! which shouldn’t be hard i live in WV lol. also! in the jilly juice episode, when they mentioned autism & down syndrome, justin’s rant really shows just how much he cares and it means a lot to me :)
I’ve listened to every episode at least 3 times
Silly, fun and educational. I feel entertained and I feel smart at the same time. I love what y’all do for science communication.
Crying over Xylazine
I always knew these folks were radical but I don’t think I understood until this episode the depth of it, the compassion and active, living work that Justin, and especially Sydnee, are doing. The reveal that they both carry narcan is when I started crying. This is charity, this is good works, this is helping the stranger. And the dumb jokes are important too. Also, if anybody hasn’t had the pleasure, go watch Sydnee mentally break Justin down by reciting listicles on youtube.
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