Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Justin McElroy
sawbones comedy history
en
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 (50)

Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Munchausen Syndrome

August 26, 2025 41m Episode 552
There are many eponymous disorders and diseases, but Munchausen is an interesting case of a disease named after a character who is based on a real person. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about Hieronymus...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Lisztomania

August 19, 2025 36m Episode 551
Before the hysteria of Swifties and Beatlemania, people were getting hype over the handsome pianist Franz Liszt. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about what exactly about this artist made regular fandom...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist

August 05, 2025 30m Episode 550
Before everyone hits the back-to-school grind, we’ve got a fun episode about Freddy Pharkas. A historical figure of frontier medicine? No, a video game character from 1993. Justin and Dr. Sydnee talk...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Can I Use My Own Tears as Saline?

July 29, 2025 38m Episode 549
We're bringing the heat with listeners' weird medical questions! Are the hot parts of the body the only Sweaty parts? Is spicy food spicier some days more than others? Is there any benefits to extra...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: King of Sting

July 08, 2025 33m Episode 548
A dovetail from last week’s episode, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the official pain scale of insect stings, all compiled by Justin O. Schmidt. So who was this Justin, how did his research...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Wasps

July 01, 2025 40m Episode 547
After an unfortunate and painful encounter with an angry flying insect, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about wasps: how their stings work, and a journey into the science behind some folk remedies.

Music:...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: The Heartmobile

June 24, 2025 31m Episode 546
It used to be that if you needed to get to the hospital quickly, you would call the herse – because it had the space to transport a person who was lying down. Well, all of that changed in Columbus,...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: MAHA Mess

June 17, 2025 37m Episode 545
Dr. Sydnee and Justin said they'd talk about when the US Health Department replaced the vaccine council . . . well, it's happened. But to EVERYONE'S surprise, it's more of a mess than a triumph. Dr....
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Is Nose Ointment a Waste of Time?

June 10, 2025 36m Episode 544
Just in time for The Prom season, Justin and Dr. Sydnee bring your weird summer medical questions! Do other citrus fruits affect medication, or is it really just grapefruits? Why do hiccups happen so...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Sex Chocolate

May 27, 2025 38m Episode 543
It's a Sawbones grab-bag, featuring some pop-sci mythbusting around MSG, a reality check into current events around vaccines, and a fun new questionable product bringing chocolate to the...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones Classics: Fluoride

May 20, 2025 43m Episode 542
With all the news around fluoride, we bring the classic Sawbones episode about the benefits of fluoride in drinking water, because the science has not changed.

This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Dr. Pope

May 13, 2025 35m Episode 541
There was a time when Popes had secondary careers (or primary ones) on to of their Papal one. This includes Pope John XXI, the only Pope to have also been a physician. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Renaissance Medicine

May 06, 2025 38m Episode 540
Sawbones brings you a studio version of the show at the ye olde Harmony House Renaissance Faire. Justin and Dr. Sydnee talk about how medicine evolved in the Renaissance beyond what passed for...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Tetanus

April 29, 2025 44m Episode 539
It's a myth that tetanus is only found on rusty metal. What really matters is that a wound that is a dirty, deep puncture wound could to introduce the bacteria into the body. Dr. Sydnee and Justin...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: The Medical Freedom Movement

April 22, 2025 41m Episode 538
The Medical Freedom or the Health Freedom Movement is not new, but it is currently gaining more traction and attention under RFK, Jr. On its face, it is a political movement that distrusts...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Thalassotherapy

April 15, 2025 39m Episode 537
TikTok has become enthralled with the idea of Thalassotherapy... which is basically going to the ocean to feel better. Dr. Sydnee talks about the history of this "sea cure" and Dr. Richard Russell,...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Why Don’t Edema and Enema Rhyme?

April 01, 2025 41m Episode 536
Justin has gathered all the strangest listeners (questions) to quiz Dr. Sydnee with all of your weird and fun medical questions! Is Gatorade actually salty and NOT sweet? Are people with cat allergies...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Dr. Odyssey: Shark Week

March 25, 2025 35m Episode 535
What medical drama does a doctor on a cruise ship get involved in? Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about Dr. Odyssey: Shark Attack!, and the follow-up, Dr. Odyssey: Shark Attack! Part 2: Orca. It's a wild...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: The Pitt

March 18, 2025 40m Episode 534
Dr. Sydnee brings a little levity as she talks about a new medical show, The Pitt. Following fictional doctors in real-time(ish), Dr. Sydnee discusses how it compares to working in an actual ER, as...
Feed Drop: Clint and Justin join MFD Spring Break!

Feed Drop: Clint and Justin join MFD Spring Break!

March 17, 2025 1h 19m Episode 533
It’s not MaxFunDrive without a wild kickoff spectacular! Former real-life VJ and host of MTV's Spring Break 1999, Dave Holmes, takes your favorite MaxFun hosts through some wacky ‘90s- and Spring...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Henry VIII

March 11, 2025 35m Episode 532
How dangerous is jousting? Just look into the example of King Henry VIII of England. The Tudor king is infamous for his six wives, but Dr. Sydnee explains how a jousting injury may have changed his...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Kleptomania

March 04, 2025 38m Episode 531
Kleptomania is defined by an undeniable compulsion to steal, so it has wavered between legitimate diagnosis and flimsy criminal defense to somewhere in between since its inception. This week on...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Apple Cider Vinegar

February 25, 2025 42m Episode 530
The recent semi-fictionalized Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar explores the world of wellness following bloggers Belle Gibson and Milla Blake. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about what factors in the...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Frostbite

February 11, 2025 42m Episode 529
"It's been bitterly cold in our region lately and that's got Dr. Sydnee thinking about frostbite. This week, we'll gain a better understanding of this malady and even stage a brief theatrical...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Science Updates

February 04, 2025 41m Episode 528
There has been a lot going on in the United States in the last few days that might affect what's going on with health, medicine, and other sciences. Dr. Sydnee talks about the implications of all of...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Whooping Cough

January 28, 2025 36m Episode 527
Depending on where you live, you might be hearing a lot lately about Pertussis or Whooping Cough, even in Dr. Sydnee and Justin’s home county. Dr. Sydnee talks about the long history of this disease,...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Physicians' Unions

January 21, 2025 35m Episode 526
Imagine if your doctor could go on strike in the middle of a treatment. That’s the most popular argument against physicians’ unions, but there’s a lot more to the issue. Dr. Sydnee talks about the...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Seven-Second Poop Trick

January 14, 2025 34m Episode 525
It's a real medical (with a lower-case m) mystery, as Dr. Sydnee tries to find the source of a trick on TikTok that reportedly helps alleviate constipation. Join Sydnee on her surprisingly difficult...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Book Club

January 08, 2025 41m Episode 524
Dr. Sydnee and Justin are easing back into the swing of things after the holidays by discussing what they’ve been reading, both apart and together. So cozy up with some tea to hear some good book...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones Classic Double-Feature: A Medicine Called Christmas 1 & 2

December 24, 2024 1h 11m Episode 523
Happy Candlenights! We've got for you a double-feature of the original A Medicine Called Christmas 1 and 2.

Medicine Called Christmas: Live from Candlenights 2018, we're so proud to present a staged...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: How's My Lump Doing?

December 17, 2024 36m Episode 522
As a gift to the audience, we have another Sawbones Q and A, answering strange questions submitted by listeners! How does a menstrual disk work? How should we ACTUALLY clean our ears? Are cat biscuits...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Walking Pneumonia

December 10, 2024 39m Episode 521
It’s nearly winter, which means the return of mycoplasma or “Walking Pneumonia” on this hemisphere. This week Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about how this infection was discovered, the questionable way...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Tesla Medbed

November 26, 2024 41m Episode 520
Somehow the Tesla medical bed, or Tesla Biohealing Wellness Hotel and Resort is not related to Elon Musk. It is also not really related to actual medical care. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about another...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Project 2025

November 19, 2024 41m Episode 519
Needless to say it’s going to be a long four years for the United States. This week’s episode of Sawbones offers some guidance on what we might expect for medicine and health care going forward and...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones Classic: History of Abortion

November 05, 2024 46m Episode 518
It's Election Day in the United States of America, and so we present this Sawbones episode on the history of abortion from May 2022. Go vote!

With the recent news about Roe v. Wade, it’s important to...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: John Green and Good.Store

October 29, 2024 36m Episode 517
Dr. Sydnee and Justin are joined by John Green to talk about the still-prevalent disease of tuberculosis and how his company Good.Store is using coffee and tea to eradicate it in one African...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Doctor Odyssey

October 22, 2024 40m Episode 516
There's a new medical show in town, and Sawbones is all here for it. Dr. Sydnee goes through some of the highlights of the medical emergencies above the cruise ship in Doctor Odyssey and their...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Brazilian Butt Lift

October 15, 2024 41m Episode 515
Some cosmetic surgeries include adding silicon or plastic to enhance the figure. But what if the extra fat came from your own body? Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the fraught and history of the...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Can Doritos Make Skin See-Through?

October 08, 2024 41m Episode 514
Bring on the fall weather and bring on the listeners’ weird medical questions! Dr. Sydnee and Justin answer listeners’ strangest queries and maybe learn a thing or two themselves. Is Shy Bladder a...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Kegels

October 01, 2024 38m Episode 513
No matter the body parts, strengthening your pelvic muscles is generally good for you. But who were they named after, and most importantly, who introduced them? Dr. Sydnee and Justin go on a journey...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Exploding Teeth

September 24, 2024 34m Episode 512
Canonically, Dr. Sydnee doesn’t know much about teeth, but there are several cases in dental journals about teeth that spontaneously exploded. Dr. Sydnee tries to make sense of a few mysterious...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Superman

September 17, 2024 42m Episode 511
It’s a bird! It’s a podcast! It’s Justin’s superhero anatomy textbook to the rescue! What is the medical and scientific explanation of how Superman’s powers work? Batman has thoroughly analysed his...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Triple E and Public Health in 2024

September 03, 2024 47m Episode 510
A rare but deadly mosquito-born illness called Eastern equine encephalitis is prompting some local governments to limit evening play for kids. But after the COVID public health crisis, the discussion...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Fentanyl and the ONEbox

August 27, 2024 42m Episode 509
If you haven’t already been personally affected by a fentanyl overdose, you likely know someone who has. This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee explores the rapid rise of fentanyl as a lethal street drug...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: The Doctor Patient

August 20, 2024 45m Episode 508
Dr. Sydnee goes through her own story of a routine mammogram and its follow up: how the experience is different coming in as a doctor, the advantages and the disadvantages of trying to doctor...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Mushrooms

August 13, 2024 36m Episode 507
It wouldn't be Twenty Fungalore without talking about the alleged medicinal properties of mushrooms, which are a fungus and not a plant at all. Justin and Dr. Sydnee talk to Cleveland about common...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Medical Jewelry

August 06, 2024 45m Episode 506
Magnetic bracelets, immortality rings . . . the internet is full of wearables that are sold for their medicinal properties as if they’re equipment in Baldur’s Gate. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Mechanical Heart Pump

July 23, 2024 30m Episode 505
Sometimes the cities we visit on tour have some historical medical mess-ups, but not Detroit! Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about Forest Dewey Dodrill, who performed the first successful heart surgery...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Tampons

July 16, 2024 48m Episode 504
You may have heard that a new study showed tampons contain traces of metals. Dr. Sydnee and Justin go through the history of tampons, why they might contain metal, and what we still need to find out...
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Sawbones: Human Tricks

July 09, 2024 41m Episode 503
Can you touch your tongue with your nose or wiggle your ears? Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the science and studies behind weird little tricks some bodies can do, or "stupid human tricks."

Can...

About this Podcast

Copyright
Justin and Sydnee McElroy
Language
en
Categories
sawbones, comedy, history, medicine, medical history, Comedy, Health & Fitness, Medicine, History