Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Trichinosis

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We all know it's probably smart not to eat raw pork, but this week on Sawbones, we'll meet the inspiring people brave enough to ask "Why?" (Note: We'r...

Sawbones: Adenoviruses

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is the story of the military-funded vaccine that was, wasn't and then ($100 million later) was again. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sawbones: Paternity Testing

31 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Though we have it down to a (literal) science at this point, the history of determining parentage is chock-full of fake medicine. Two words: Impotence...

Sawbones: The World of Warcraft Plague

26 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones: A real-world miracle. Justin gets to talk about video games as Dr. Sydnee explores a in-game plague that brought World of Warcr...

Sawbones: The First Pharmacist

18 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, we meet the first pharmacist in the U.S., visit the New Orleans museum that celebrates his legacy and hunt the ghosts that supp...

Sawbones: Bleach

04 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, an unnerving look into the upsettingly modern invention of ingesting bleach for medicinal uses. Content warning: This episode i...

Sawbones: Why Doctors Don't Fix Teeth

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We've joked a lot about how Dr. Sydnee doesn't know much about teeth, but this week we're explaining exactly why. It all goes back ... to The Historic...

Sawbones: Warfarin

19 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sure, an episode about a common blood thinner may not sound particularly sexy. But we'd bet that once you hear the inspiring story of how moldy hay be...

Sawbones: Cavities

12 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sydnee finally took a much belated trip to the dentists office and she and Justin are celebrating in the only way they know how: Digging through a...

Sawbones: Pinworms

07 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We recorded this episode of Sawbones live on the Joco Cruise 2019. (Book your cabin for 2020 now, they're filling up fast!) When confronted with the b...

Sawbones: Modern Day Snake Oil Salespeople

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Often on Sawbones, we talk about pushers of false cures as if snake oil is a relic of a bygone era. This week on a special MaxFunDrive episode of Sawb...

Sawbones: Broken Heart Syndrome

22 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones to celebrate the Maximum Fun Drive we've got a special crossover episode with Shmanners! Let's talk about broken heart syndrome ...

Sawbones: Medical Legends of Alabama

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that Alabama has been the home of some huge medical milestones? It's true! Join us as we share the inspirational, hilarious and terrifyin...

Sawbones: Stroke

08 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're honoring the memory of Luke Perry who passed away this week after a stroke. We'll be talking about the history of strokes, but more impor...

Sawbones: Rubella

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones we complete our three-part series on the MMR vaccine as we make you an honorary Rubella Fighter. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpa...

Sawbones: Auriculotherapy

22 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody loves harnessing the power of reflexology, but what if you want all the great, totally real, not at all fabricated benefits of reflexology, ...

Sawbones: Mumps

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones we return to the MMR vaccine, specifically the "mumps" part. We'll also meet the brilliant mind behind the vaccine and the tragi...

Tom Brady's Snake Oil

05 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Besides being a king of football and all around touchdown master, did you know Tom Brady endorses a training and nutrition regimen co-created by a guy...

Sawbones: Rock Medicine

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, we'll meet a San Francisco doctor that reimagined how we care for people with drug addiction and got a hit put out on himself i...

Sawbones: Bizarro World

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine a world where Sawbones never existed, medical progress was halted and false wellness ran rampant. That's the horrifying world painted by a rec...

Sawbones: Alkaline Water

12 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As shelves seem to be overtaken by "pH-balanced" beverages, alkaline water has moved from the fringes into the mainstream. This week on Sawbones, Dr. ...

Sawbones: Colic and Gripe Water

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gripe water and colic are a match made in Sawbones heaven: A cure-all and a catch all. This week, we'll explore the history of how a misunderstood dia...

A Sawbones Special Presentation: A Medicine Called Christmas

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Candlenights 2018, we're so proud to present a staged reading of the new Hallmark Christmas movie written by Justin and Sydnee McElroy: A Me...

Sawbones: Vitamin B17

15 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode of Sawbones is all about "Vitamin B17" which is, brace yourself ... not a vitamin. Yup, it's gonna be one of those sorts of episod...

Sawbones: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

02 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When Dr. Sydnee and Justin find themselves in Colorado, an episode on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever seems a natural fit ... except it's not really that...

Sawbones: The Herpes Thanksgiving Special

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This Thanksgiving, Dr. Sydnee and Justin invite you on their ambitious quest to use the biggest family meal of the year to destigmatize herpes. No mor...

Sawbones: Black Salve

16 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Would you believe that the hot new (very old) alternative medicine paste that indiscriminately burns your cells off is bad for you? We know, we were s...

Sawbones: Jilly Juice

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin take a swig from the new miracle drink Jilly Juice, which can not only cure every disease but can regrow ...

Sawbones: Your Weird Questions, Our Weirder Answers

03 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We've spotted a boatload of your weird medical questions on the horizon and we've pointed our knowledge cannons at it and we're ... sinking it? Listen...

Sawbones: Possession

28 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, we detail all the real medical conditions that have been mistaken for demonic possession and the modern day psychiatrists that ...

Sawbones: 27 Reasons Why You Should Get a Flu Shot

21 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sydnee and Justin asked why you, their beloved listeners, haven't gotten a flu shot and now they're taking 27 (yes, 27) of your most common excuse...

Sawbones: Dr. Price's Bad Ideas

13 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Price was a dentist with some pretty bad ideas about nutrition. That probably wouldn't have merited an appearance on Sawbones ... except those bad...

Sawbones: The Oregon Trail

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week Justin and Dr. Sydnee try desperately to save you from cholera on a grand tour of the many different ways to die on The Oregon Trail. Music:...

Sawbones: Vasectomy

30 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You had to see this one coming. Yes, just a few short weeks after Justin's surgery, Dr. Sydnee decides to explain the complete history of vasectomies ...

Sawbones: Medical Illustration

21 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We take for granted that we know what bodies look like on the inside, but this week on Sawbones we honor those brave pioneers that had to draw them fo...

Sawbones: Memorialization and Medical Ethics

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin discuss what we owe to people who do terrible things in the name of medical progress. Music: "Medicines"...

Sawbones: Ether

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

People talk a lot of mess about drugs being dangerous, and they're right. But did you know that ether frolics, a delightfully named drug party, inspir...

Sawbones: Asbestos

01 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Asbestos has gotten a lot of bad publicity over the last century, but isn't that just because it's so incredibly dangerous for humans to inhale? Isn't...

Sawbones: Perkins' Tractors

24 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Sawbones: The Placebo Effect

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 question...

Sawbones: CBD Oil

04 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sawbones: Applied Kinesiology

22 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 Amer...

Sawbones: The Bends

13 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sawbones: Ozone

06 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sawbones: Antimony

30 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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. Dr...

Sawbones: Ketogenic Diet

24 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sawbones: Our Mental Health Stories

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about their struggles with mental health. Trigger warning for discussion of depression, anxiety and ...

Sawbones: Medical Astrology

08 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Sawbones: DNA Testing

31 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin hunt for the the soccer gene as they talk about the modern trend of DNA testing and read their own result...

Sawbones: Freckles

27 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Here in our hemisphere, the sun is brutalizing us even now, weeks away from the start of summer. For many, that means the return of freckles. But wher...

Sawbones: Hepatitis A

19 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

East Coast fast food restaurants have been plagued recently by Hepatitis A scares. This week, live from the Columbus Podcast Festival, Justin and Dr. ...

Sawbones: Legends of the Hidden Breast

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee shares her breastfeeding experiences and discusses some of the stigma surrounding the practice in America. She and J...

Sawbones: Fractures

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones: Bones! We know, we thought it was weird it took us this long too. It's like ... right there in the title, you know? Anyway: BON...

Sawbones: Genetically-Modified Organisms

20 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, we're talking about genetically-modified organisms. Should you be afraid when you see GMO on packaging? Or is genetic modificat...

The Ghastly Gauntlet: A Sawbones Super Quiz

12 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How well do you know your horrifying medical history? Find out this week as you test your knowledge with The Ghastly Gauntlet: A Sawbones Super Quiz! ...

Sawbones: The Secret Life of Doctors

05 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wonder what doctors do when they're not giving you a check up? Wonder how to get the most out of ever doctor's visit? We've got the answers for y...

Sawbones: Bee Venom Therapy

01 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week we've got bee venom therapy another Goop favorite, that despite all the Gwenecdotal evidence may not be worth the risk. Hopefully Dr. Sydnee...

Sawbones: ALS and the Many Diseases of Jean-Martin Charcot

25 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin mark the passing of Stephen Hawking by discussing the disease that shaped his life and the unusual, prolific physicia...

Sawbones: Ambulances

10 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sydnee and Justin have talked about when you get sick at your house and when you're treated at the hospital, but isn't there a missing link? Isn't...

Sawbones: Our Second Birth Story

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We've been gone for a little while, but with good reason! We had another baby. To save ourselves sisterly in-fighting in their teen years, we're recou...

Sawbones: Yet More Medical Questions Answered

09 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Does chewing Excedrin really make it work faster? Does gasoline help a bee sting? We'll answer those queries and many more as Dr. Sydnee and Justin ta...

Sawbones: Antibiotics

02 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, it's the story of a miraculous cure and how we all have to work together to protect it. Join Dr. Sydnee and Justin for the stor...

Sawbones: Goiter

26 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin rub two different kinds of poop on your throat because they don't know iodine exists. Join us for a histo...

Sawbones: Don't Eat Tide Pods

19 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we devote an entire episode of our medical podcast to discouraging people from eating detergent pods. 2018 is off to a great start. Music: ...

Sawbones: Raw Water

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do you need a doctor and her lovely sidekick to tell you that you shouldn't drink dirty water? No, probably not. But, infuriatingly, some people do. S...

Sawbones: Home Alone

07 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For your listening edification, Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her lovely assistant Justin McElroy are delighted to present a full accounting of the injuries ...

Sawbones: The CDC and Medical Censorship

21 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The CDC was recently asked by the Trump administration to stop using seven terms like "fetus" and "transgender" in budget requests. But certainly ther...

Sawbones: Coffee

16 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, we join you live from Seattle. Seeing as this town took place in the home of Starbucks, we took the opportunity to extoll the m...

Sawbones: Wound Care

07 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Justin and Dr. Sydnee explore all the weird, terrible ways we've tried to fix one of the human body's most basic problem. It's ...

Sawbones: The Baby Show

01 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin introduce you to Martin Couney, the (maybe) doctor who put babies into a carnival side show and saved a generation of...

Sawbones: Legionnaires' Disease

16 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin visit Disneyland and the only souvenir they bring back is an investigation into the history of Legionnair...

Sawbones: Charcoal

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Grilling season is over in our part of the U.S. and Justin wants to know what he's gonna do with all this left over charcoal. The answer, according to...

Sawbones: Chili Peppers

04 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, we're examining all the health benefits of the red hot chili peppers. Flea is good for you, believe it or ... wait, it's not th...

Sawbones: Soda

27 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin visit the home of Coca-Cola to recount the history of medicinal soda pop and try to finally solve the age...

Sawbones: The Moon

19 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The moon is more than just a big hunk of cheese. Actually, it's not even really cheese. Did you think it was cheese? Wow, you know less about the moon...

Sawbones: Inside a Doctor's Bag

05 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Take a thrilling journey through time with Dr. Sydnee and Justin as they travel to the 1800s and peer inside a doctor's bag. Music: "Medicines" by The...

Sawbones: Aspirin

01 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr. Sydnee as she shocks Justin with the revelation that aspirin isn't for headaches anymore, along with plenty of other revelations about this w...

Sawbones: The Glass Delusion

23 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin delve into the strange story of the king who thought he was made of glass, and the many he might have convinced that ...

Sawbones: The Presidential Fitness Test

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How many pull ups can you do? How fast can you run? How far can you jump? Most importantly: Why does the President of the United States care so much? ...

Sawbones: Snoring

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sydnee and Justin mark the 200th episode of Sawbones with a topic that's a real snooze: The history of snoring! (Get it?) Music: "Medicines" by Th...

Sawbones: Tickling

25 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sawbones tries to lighten things up this week and Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore the chuckle-worthy history of tickling. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxp...

Sawbones: Eugenics

17 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for a timely, tragic history of eugenics. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Sawbones: Opioid Addiction

11 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for a sobering look at America's opioid crisis. The bad news: We're all still living in a Sawbones e...

Sawbones: Erectile Dysfunction

03 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin rub a baby alligator's heart on every penis we can find as we explore the history of treating erectile dy...

Sawbones: Mutter Museum

20 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Philadelphia is home not only to the most recent Sawbones live show, but also one of the world's most unusual museums -- The Mutter Museum -- a collec...

The (Maybe) Real Dr. Frankenstein

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The man who (maybe) inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein didn't just try to breathe life into corpses. He also invented a medicine so toxic it was use...

Sawbones: Wrinkles

07 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you've got a few decades on you, you've certainly started to notice a few of the telltale signs of aging. Well, not YOU, of course. YOU look great,...

Sawbones: An Incomplete History of Gender Confirmation

30 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, special guest Laura Kate Dale joins Dr. Sydnee and Justin for a (very) incomplete history of gender confirmation. We hope you'll join us to...

Sawbones: Yet More Weird Medical Answers

25 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Why is there iodine in salt? What takes the place of a removed organ? Can you ... actually, that one is too gross to put here. Join Dr. Sydnee and Jus...

Sawbones: Conversion Therapy Part 2

17 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we conclude our series on "conversion therapy" with the religious aspect of this horrific "treatment." Trigger Warning: The treatments used...

Sawbones: Conversion Therapy Part 1

09 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're honoring Pride Month and the LGBTQ community with an exploration of the disturbing history of conversion therapy. Trigger Warning: T...

Sawbones: Medicinal Tattoos

02 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tattoos (usually) look cool, but did you know they've also been used throughout history to treat illness? It's true! This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin ...

Sawbones: The Clap

25 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Austin, Texas, it's ... well, it's one of the grossest episodes Justin and Dr. Sydnee have ever recorded. So, sorry about that. Anyway, let'...

Sawbones: Vivien Thomas

18 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We mentioned him in our last episode, but Vivien Thomas deserves his own episode. Join Dr. Sydnee and Just as they explore the life of the high-school...

Sawbones: Tetralogy of Fallot

11 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel's heartfelt plea for healthcare on behalf of his infant son, Tetralogy of Fallot has been in the headlines. This week on Sawbon...

Sawbones: The Salisbury Diet

04 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Justin and Dr. Sydnee explore the Salisbury diet, and meet the incredible woman who turned into a poop detective to prove it ri...

Sawbones: Flouride

30 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore a medical mystery: Why, for a town in Colorado, was having brown teeth a sign of great tooth health? Music: "...

Sawbones: The 80-Hour Work Week

24 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Just how long has the first-year doctor checking you out been awake? The answer may surprise you. The biggest surprise, however, is why a sleepy docto...

Sawbones: Pica and Eating Dirt

14 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore some of the reasons people eat things they really shouldn't. Like dirt. And cigarette butts. And ...

Sawbones: The Papanicolaou Test

07 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Justin and Dr. Sydnee bring you the thrilling story of how a former department store clerk from Greece saved countless lives with the inven...