Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine (Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy)

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We keep your pee pee in a cup.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

As with almost every cultural touchstone, Dr. Sydnee and Justin are extremely late to The Crown party. But the Netflix historical drama has provided not only immovable hairdos and withering glares, it also serves as the inspiration of our latest episode, in which a freak weather pattern (and an overuse of fossil fuels) nearly suffocated a city.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

If you want to Get Good at video games quickly, are there any magic pills you can take? Well, there are people trying to sell them to you. Justin and Dr. Sydnee look at some supplements that claim to give gamers better focus and more energy, none of which are doctor-approved. 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: This show is on fire.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

What question would you ask a doctor if you were sitting next to them? That’s what the goal is today on Sawbones, where “we”, mostly Sydnee, answer listeners’ most pressing weird medical questions. Questions about cool things like ear gauges, absinthe, the strength of car doors, self-advocacy, hydration, and the hole that is your belly button.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

No need to be blue, we're back with an all-new Sawbones about silver! See, that's a very good joke, because ingesting silver can turn you blue, but you wouldn't know that because you haven't listened yet. Sorry.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Olympic athletes swear by it, but what really is the science behind cupping? Dr. Sydnee and Justin are looking into it, and the answer might (but probably won't) surprise you.

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

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We mesmerize you.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

From our earliest days of life E. coli is among us and within us, living in harmony with the rest of our colonic flora. But this week we're here to discuss the multi-dimensional E. coli's ability to really mess all that up through contaminated romaine and undercooked cheeseburgers.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers 
https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

The market is flooded with at-home tests that let you "take medical care into your own hands" but is that something you even want in your hands? Are they reliable? Also, is Justin really going to give up cereal?

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We squeeze a beaver's scent glands.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

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

We're continuing our celebration of MaxFunDrive by giving back to you, our lovely listeners and even lovelier donors with an all Q&A episode of Sawbones. Why do runners poop? Can you skip a day of antibiotics? Enquire within!

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We measure your head lump.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

Lately, have you found yourself pining for a simpler time? An easier time? Maybe just, like, ANY time other than your current one? You may be experiencing nostalgia. This week on Sawbones, we'll track its evolution from a clinical diagnosis to a possible healing tool.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee share medical history's greatest will-they/won't-they, the story of a doctor and his muse: A man with a hole in his stomach.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Listen, we're not gonna sit here all fancy and act like we didn't just record an entire episode about people sunning their buttholes. That's what happened, nothing can change that. If you don't listen, it was for nothing.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, we put the lime in the coconut and the severity of our scurvy is not diminished in the slightest.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 Justin as they take on your weird medical questions even ... that last one.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

An introspective moment on Sawbones this week as we meet the doctor who devoted his life to discovering the weight of the human soul.

NOTE: This episode contains discussions of mortality, both human and animal.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Is 2017 the year that everybody gets to go to space? Well, no, probably not. But the groundwork is there for us to do it thanks to the doctors and astronauts that pioneered space medicine.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We cure everything with chicken.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We sneak a cookie in our sleep.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

This week on Sawbones, things are getting hot! Well, no, come to think of it, they’re doing the opposite. They’re getting colder. And by “they” we mean “we.” We’re getting colder, all of us. Probably. What should you do about it? Nothing. For now, you’ll just have to -- wait for it -- chill.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

There has been lots of discourse about gender expression recently, and “science” is often trotted out as an argument to deny the experience of others. “Feel however you want,” these arguments typically begin, “but there are only two sexes, and they’re easily defined, and that’s just science.” 

That’s … well it’s crap.

This week on Sawbones, join us as we make it extremely clear where science stands on this complex issue.

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin provide a brief history of caring for gunshot wounds.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

If you received the typical, white-centric education, you probably associate the Black Panthers only with violence and political protest. This week on Sawbones, we talk about their work in medical research advocacy and creating public health programs that sought to make life better for all black and oppressed people. 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Do you really need to floss? Have you been taking your chew stick for granted? Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore those and other pressing questions in exploration of the history of dental hygiene.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Have you ever been interrupted on a college campus by someone asking about your latest incident of intimate kissing? That's because they were trying to track the spread of a common infection called mononucleosis, or mono. Dr. Sydnee goes over the history of how the virus that caused mono was tracked down, and how it's tested for now.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

No, dear listener, “arsenic wallpaper” is not just a great band name, it’s also a reference to a mid-1800s fanaticism around using arsenic to create a particular vibrant shade of green. A sort of . . . jade? Sage? Anyway. You’ve probably already guessed how that works out, but we’ll lay it out for you just the same on this week’s Sawbones.

Do artificially colored food dyes make your kids behave badly? This sounds like it could be true, and is certainly alluring to parents as an easy fix. But are they actually related? In the 1940s, Dr. Benjamin Feingold was set to research just that, believing that food dye not only could cause bad behavior, but was linked to asthma, eczema, and hives. But the solution to how to solve any of these problems is a bit extreme – too extreme to be practical or even show any real results.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Started in the 1930s by scientist Dr. Miriam Menkin, in vitro fertilization is a medical procedure to help with fertility that took until the 1970s to have results in humans. With some drastic misunderstandings going on in the news, Dr. Sydnee and Justin go through the long history of in vitro fertilization and its importance in fertility and contraception today.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

We’re back with Sawbones Medical Questions! Justin acts as stand-in for the listeners while Dr. Sydnee answers questions about tall people getting COVID, eye goop, nose goop, labor organizing in the medical field, and corn in poop. This one’s for the Sawboners. 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

We love grave robbers on Sawbones and ... well, that came out wrong. We don't have a particular affinity for today's grave robbers, but they've played an important role in medical research and ... we're still defending grave robbers, aren't we? OK, listen. Let's start over. This is an episode about a really bad grave robber.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Did you know that cabin fever isn't just the cooped-up funk we all find ourselves in? It's a real actual disease called typhus -- or at least, it used to be. It's confusing, we know, but this week we're gonna walk you through all the extremely gross details.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This episode of Sawbones is a little lighter, and what’s lighter than pink? Nothing, especially when we’re talking about Baker-Miller Pink, a hue theorized to calm people down, quell violence, and maybe even influence muscle strength. It wasn’t the first color thought to have an effect on people’s behavior, and it’s EXACTLY as affective.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

There are many ways people get sick, but sometimes diseases are carried to people by insects. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the top ten "bad bugs" including mosquitoes, ticks, assassin bugs, and some beetles that are big and bad. 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We help you shed the ellbees.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

In the mid-20th century, Dr. Edward Bach developed a series of diluted tinctures from ingredients of the natural world to combat negative emotions, and by extension, disease. Bach supplied that these remedies were different for everyone, depending on mood. And to find out what you need? Just take an online quiz!

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

In the third and final chapter of the pirate medicine series, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the dreaded Flux. What is the Flux? Well, it involves something coming out of your body in excess . . . and it's not urine.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Why do doctors wear that? What did they used to wear? Dr. Sydnee and Justin answer the big questions like that, including the big one: What's up with that little head mirror?

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

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, but like, your friends and stuff. This week, Justin and Dr. Sydnee explore the incredible array of bizarre treatments for wrinkles.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" sounds like an extravagant and generous cavalcade of gifts. But what if your true love had less than pure intentions? Justin and Dr. Sydnee go through each present and speculate what deadly diseases they could potentially give you. Not hard to theorize, considering these gifts include two dozen birds.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We fix that cueball of yours.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

The overturning of Roe has created an astounding number of questions and problems, and the fact is that we don’t know for sure how the landscape will change in the next few years or even months. This week, Dr. Sydnee uses the best available information to answer listener questions about what the Roe decision means for those seeking medical care related to pregnancy, including the morning after pill, vasectomies as contraception, and ectopic pregnancies.

Addendum: There is a prescription form of emergency contraception called Ella that may be more effective in larger bodies. Speak to your primary care physician for more information.

Resources:
Abortion On Our Own Terms: https://abortiononourownterms.org/
https://apiaryps.org/
https://www.abortionfinder.org/

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Naloxone is known as the “life-saving drug,” since it can bring someone back from an opiate overdose. Dr. Sydnee goes through the history of this hero drug, how it works, and the recent struggle of keeping it accessible in some communities. 

Check out the Free Naloxone Day Fundraiser: Bit.ly/SawbonesNaloxone

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

You probably think you have narcolepsy all figured out, but did you know that it's also the most horrifying disease of all time? It's true!

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

A new presidential administration means a new U.S. Surgeon General, so this week on Sawbones, we're examining exactly what that means. Are they a general? Why do they get to tell us what to do? And why do they care so much about sailor health?

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 recommendations from your favorite health professional and clown husband.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Palestine Children's Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/

This week on Sawbones, Live from Huntington, WV and Candlenights 2015: CHRISTMAS IS TRYING TO KILL YOU. Grandma. Egg nog. Trees. Mistletoe. The Grinch. RUN.

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

With the recent news about Roe v. Wade, it’s important to talk about the history of abortion in the United States. The right to autonomy over one’s own body in regard to medical care is one of the basic tenets of medical ethics; but no matter what anyone personally believes, banning abortion doesn’t stop abortion. It just makes it unsafe.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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 common in Colorado. But when the story of a disease is able to tie together cow-dipping terrorism and frozen food, how can they resist?

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Justin takes the wheel as he once again brings out the official Marvel Anatomy book to discuss the science of comic book superpowers. He and Dr. Sydnee discuss the feasibility of abilities in characters like Daredevil, The Invisible Woman, Captain America, Spider Woman, and The Lizard.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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

It should come as no surprise that the Sawbones inbox has been chockablock with questions about the ongoing ... unpleasantness. This week, we're trying to group your COVID-19 queries in an orderly fashion and answer them to the best of our ability. Well, the best of Sydnee's ability. Justin just talks about dandruff shampoo. 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Hot time, summer in the city, time for listener Sawbones questions! Questions like: Why is blood sticky? Why does skin itch when it grows back? Might my twin reject my organs? And should I bring my own speculum to an exam? 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

What’s the deal with vomiting? Justin and Dr. Sydnee meditate on the various ways we get nauseated, from smelling something gross to getting hit in a sensitive spot, and what we’ve done over the years to help alleviate it. Although sometimes kids just vomit for no reason and we can’t really help you there.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

This week on Sawbones, in the last of their three-part series, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore the dark and light side of swimming pools as they present the triumph over polio.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee eat some coral in a misguided attempt to cure their heartburn (while upsetting as little of the ecosystem as possible).

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 and what one West Virginia group is doing in hopes of turning the tide against overdose fatalities.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

We all know that consuming wine has no downsides whatsoever, but did you know it also has some amazing health benefits as well?! It's true! (Depending on your definition of "benefits" ... and "health" and ... OK, and "amazing" too.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

We're re-releasing our classic holiday episode all about Home Alone.

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 https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin check in with National Hotel Disease, the diarrhea so bad it almost brought down a U.S. presidency.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

In the late 1800s, Dr. Herbert Snow observed cancer patients and considered that a mix of different medications might do the trick for slowing down its progress. The Brompton Cocktail, as it was called, was mostly cocaine and morphine. Though used for a long time for pain relief, the cocktail proved to have its problems – but maybe not for the reason you would think.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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 reading of the new Hallmark Christmas movie written by Justin and Sydnee McElroy: A Medicine Called Christmas. Music: Adam Sakiyama CAST:   Narrator: Rachel McElroy Daniel: Tommy Smirl Tabitha: Sydnee McElroy Phil: Griffin McElroy Chris: Justin McElroy Ms. Crimble: Teresa McElroy Mr. Frankson: Dwight Slappe Mr. Cameron: Travis McElroy Beth: Teylor Smirl Mandy: Rileigh Smirl Mr. Golfberg: Michael Meadows Santa: Clint McElroy    

Medicine Called Christmas 2: Royal Pain: Just in time for Christmas, we've got another extremely special holiday film created by Justin and Sydnee McElroy. Gather the family and prepare for A Medicine Called Christmas 2: A Royal Pain. NARRATOR: Rachel McElroy PHIL: Griffin McElroy TAB: Sydnee McElroy JESUS: Dwight Slappe SORIANO: Travis McElroy CHRIS: Justin McElroy WAITER: Michael Meadows  MR. BIG CITY: Tommy Smirl BETH: Teylor Smirl MANDY: Rileigh Smirl QUEEN: Mary Smirl SANTA: Clint McElroy 

Justin returns to quiz Dr. Sydnee for the third and final analysis of the official Marvel Anatomy book. All will be revealed! Where does Colossus get his steel skin? How does Mystique turn into other people? And why are the Inhumans so disappointing?

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We met a hero of medicine who was also a bit of a nut.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

A somewhat invasive plant with yellow flowers named after John the Baptist has been used for centuries as a kind of cure all. Dr. Sydnee will lead you through a history of its many applications, what it’s used for today, and explain what exactly is a wort.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, Justin and Dr. Sydnee stop making corsets and build two battleships as they explore the history of fainting.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

There are lots of things that aren’t medicine. Taxes. Pound cake. One thing that is definitely not a medicine but at a time was thought as one? Ketchup! Dr. Sydnee goes through ketchup’s journey from a fermented non-tomato condiment to the condiment we know and love, including its brief stint as Dr. Miles’ Extract of Tomato.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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 explore the history of medicinal tattoos.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

It’s time to answer more of your medical queries, like what is Texidor’s Twinge, when does the sunscreen clock start, and yeast infections: why?

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin get angry about the measles.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

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 fungi used as medical supplements, from the parasitic Cordyceps to the infamous psilocybin.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

This week on Sawbones, join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for a timely, tragic history of eugenics.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

The COVID-19 outbreak has recently pushed masks and other protective equipment into the forefront of the global conversation, especially as a shortage threatens medical professionals on the front lines. This week on Sawbones, how masks changed the world of medicine, and what happens when there aren't enough to go around. 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Lice aren’t just a longtime annoyance of school aged kids, they’ve actually been around longer than people. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the history of trying to get rid of these creatures as well as some common misconceptions. Be warned: your head will be itchy during this episode.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We can't sleep.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

Dr. Sydnee hands the wheel over to Justin this week as he returns to his medical media series with a history of medical video games. Learn how meteors gave all dinosaurs asthma and so much more!

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

On a chilly, rainy Civil War battlefield in Tennessee, soldiers started noticing something strange: Some of their wounds had begun ... glowing. Stranger still: Those with the glow tended to fare better than their illuminated counterparts. The assumption? Angels were bringing them back from the brink.

An incredible story.

This week on Sawbones? You guessed it, Dr. Sydnee and her old buddy Science are gonna ruin the whole thing.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

To celebrate American Thanksgiving, Dr. Sydnee and Justin example the medical history of that beleaguered holiday treat: The humble cranberry.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 through the Kegel's medical history and naming conventions.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

With so much medical research out there on internet, how can you sort through what's based in science and what's just three people in a room? Dr. Sydnee discusses the all the different factors to think about when deciding how much weight to give any article or study. There's a lot! 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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 allergic to big cats? Can you fart and spread norovirus? Can a fetus taste? And the most important question of all: who are Justin and Dr. Sydnee's favorite fictional doctors?

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/about/who-we-are

Benjamin Franklin: Prolific writer. Founding Father. Inventor. Creator of a killer instrument? The Glass Armonica, more or less a series of singing water bowls with haunting melody, became a popular instrument for a very short amount of time. But by 1830,  it ceased being played entirely. Was it because its strange harmonics were making people ill? Or maybe it was just very fragile and hard to carry around? 

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Is schizophrenia the same as having a dissociative identity? Or anti-social disorder? Or being a murderer? No. No. All of these are wrong. Dr. Sydnee breaks down one of the most misunderstood and maligned mental illnesses and how our understanding of symptoms and treatment have changed over the years.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

Florida has a sudden uptick in cases of leprosy – but isn’t that just a weird Biblical disease? It’s real, it’s just fairly rare. Justin and Dr. Sydnee bring the history of leprosy from a 2014 episode, in addition to updated research and treatments, as well as what exactly is going on in Florida.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/

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 diagnosis has helped keep a made-up medicine on the shelves.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

In the 1950s, Thalidomide was rolled out very quickly and what followed was a tragic story that highlighted perils of greed and hidden agendas. This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin attempt to untangle this murky narrative, and highlight the doctor who heroically kept this disaster from claiming many more lives.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

AOA is a medical honors society that's supposed to separate top-tier medical students from the rest of the pack. It helps determine which doctors get the top jobs in the most competitive fields. The problem? There's implicit racism in the way it chooses members, and fixing it may be a massive challenge.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

We've all heard about the oath new doctors have to take before they get their first scalpel and weird head mirror thing. But has it always been the same? Did Hippocrates really make it up? Is "First, do no harm" part of it? We'll answer all that and more on this week's Sawbones.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

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 Warcraft to its knees.

This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee finally kick the eating habit as they explore the often-disturbing history of fasting.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers

Welcome to Sawbones, where Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy take you on a whimsical tour of the dumb ways in which we've tried to fix people. This week: We make Sawbones ... on weed.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers (http://thetaxpayers.net)

This week on Sawbones, we discuss Philadelphia's disastrous Fourth Liberty Loan Parade that helped reignite the 1918 influenza epidemic in the region. We'll also examine some other unnerving similarities between that century-old disaster and our current situation.

Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers