Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Justin McElroy

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.

  • 38 minutes 59 seconds
    Sawbones: Vampire Facials

    You may have seen some celebrities or influencers on social media getting something called a Vampire Facial. It's exactly what it sounds like: blood spread on the face like a cream mask. But why would anyone do this unless it's supposed to do something for the skin? Dr. Sydnee and Justin draw out where this trend came from and its questionable benefits.

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

    30 April 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 41 minutes 58 seconds
    Sawbones: CPR

    Squishing someone’s heart and blowing air into them to bring them back to life seems so basic, so why weren’t we able to agree on it for the past few hundred years? This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee gives an overview of the evolution of CPR which, despite what movies and TV would have you believe, isn’t quite an infinite cheat code for avoiding death.

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

    23 April 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 39 minutes 41 seconds
    Sawbones: Lazarus Syndrome

    What if someone was declared dead . . . only for their heart to start beating again? This is a phenomenon sometimes called "Lazarus Syndrome" or "auto resuscitation after failed pulmonary resuscitation". Dr. Sydnee and Justin discuss the outline of exactly what needs to occur, some possible reasons this might happen, and a few wild examples. 

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

    16 April 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 40 minutes 36 seconds
    Sawbones: Sea Moss

    Another day, another fad superfood on social media! Sea moss, or carrageenan or Irish moss, has historically been used for ulcers and sore throats, but does it actually have any proven medical use? Well, no, but it’s probably a good vegan substitute for gelatin. 

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

    9 April 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 41 minutes 49 seconds
    Sawbones: Interpreting Research

    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/

    4 April 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 51 minutes 13 seconds
    Sawbones: Gamer Pills

    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/

    28 March 2024, 11:45 pm
  • 52 minutes 7 seconds
    Sawbones: Can You Lick the Capsaicin Patch?

    Dr. Sydnee and Justin are welcoming in the spring and allergy season with listeners' strangest medical questions! Why do some people get goosebumps when they do alcohol shots? Does baking soda work for bug bites? Do people with facial hair get more sick? And for real, how long can you REALLY actually look at an eclipse before it's unsafe? 

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

    19 March 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 43 minutes 3 seconds
    Sawbones: Bad Bugs

    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/

    12 March 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 49 minutes
    Sawbones: IVF

    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/

    5 March 2024, 5:00 pm
  • 50 minutes 26 seconds
    Sawbones: Knock Knock Hi

    Justin and Dr. Sydnee are joined by parallel-universe versions of themselves, The Glaucomfleckens! 

    The two doctor-spouse duos talk about Will and Kristen Flanary's journey into podcasting, including serious medical scares, balancing work and kids, and social media. 

    KNOCK KNOCK HI: https://glaucomflecken.com/podcast/ 

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

    27 February 2024, 5:00 pm
  • 51 minutes 45 seconds
    Sawbones: Tongue Ties

    A tongue tie is not just a turn of phrase, it's a medical condition in which the frenulum under your tongue is too thick and restricts your lingual movement. For a long time, a procedure to cut it has been done as a solution to some breastfeeding woes. But should it be? Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the history of this procedure and the medical field's view on it today. 

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

    13 February 2024, 5:00 pm
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