Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

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" by The Taxpayers

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, inspired a powerful anasthetic? It's true! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 that just another case of bias? As the current American administration seems to be clearing a path for asbestos to return to the spotlight, Justin and Dr. Sydnee looked into this misunderstood extremely hazardous substance. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 questions await in our discussion of the placebo effect. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 oil the panacea many are promoting it as? Let's discuss on this week's Sawbones! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 American chiropractors. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 possible. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 spent the past couple hundred years trying to jam it in every possible orifice. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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. Dream no more! Antimony is here! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 way, we'll talk about it and so much more on this week's episode of Sawbones. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about their struggles with mental health. Trigger warning for discussion of depression, anxiety and suicide. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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, still do. Oh, and can we talk about Dr. Oz for a second? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 results for the first time on the show! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 where are these little guys coming from? And how can we burn them off with acid? This week, Sawbones asks the tough questions. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

East Coast fast food restaurants have been plagued recently by Hepatitis A scares. This week, live from the Columbus Podcast Festival, Justin and Dr. Sydnee take you behind the history of the disease. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee shares her breastfeeding experiences and discusses some of the stigma surrounding the practice in America. She and Justin also take some time to shatter breastfeeding myths. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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: BONES! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, we're talking about genetically-modified organisms. Should you be afraid when you see GMO on packaging? Or is genetic modification an incredible technology that may be humanity's best hope at avoiding extinction? You'll have to listen to find out, but we've probably already tipped our hand. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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! What will you score? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 you in our new episode: The Secret Life of Doctors. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 and Justin's goofing will help take the sting out of it. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin mark the passing of Stephen Hawking by discussing the disease that shaped his life and the unusual, prolific physician that discovered it. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 there something between those two things? What are Dr. Sydnee and Justin hiding? Well, nothing, they just have never talked about ambulances before. So here we go. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 recounting the (slightly less eventful) birth of our second daughter this week. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 take on more of your weird medical questions. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 story of antibiotics. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 history of the goiter. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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. So we will. Let's talk about "raw water." Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

For your listening edification, Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her lovely assistant Justin McElroy are delighted to present a full accounting of the injuries likely sustained by the Wet Bandits. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

The CDC was recently asked by the Trump administration to stop using seven terms like "fetus" and "transgender" in budget requests. But certainly there's precedent for this right? Certainly this happens all the time, right? RIGHT? This week join Dr. Sydnee and Justin for a history of the CDC and medical censorship. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 many medicinal virtues of coffee. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 a history of wound care! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 preemies. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin visit Disneyland and the only souvenir they bring back is an investigation into the history of Legionnaires' Disease. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 Dr. Sydnee? EVERYTHING. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 those chili peppers? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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-old dispute of Coke vs. Brad's Drink. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 that we thought. Dr. Sydnee and Justin's history of all the things we blame the moon for is going to be extra super educational for you, huh? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 Taxpayers

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 wonder pill. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 they were too. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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? These questions and more answered this week! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 The Taxpayers

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

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

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 episode. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 dysfunction. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 collection of medical oddities and anatomical specimens. But this is no freak show, this is an unflinching, educational look at the disturbingly beautiful and beautifully disturbing side of medicine. This is the Sawbones promised land. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers