‘Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine’ explores the weirdest, grossest, and most ridiculous ways the medical field has tried to fix us
In “Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine,” Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin McElroy explore the weirdest, grossest, and most ridiculously wrong ways the medical field has attempted to fix people over the years. The comedy podcast also shares fun information, dives into medical questions, and sometimes releases news headline-adjacent episodes.
Since 2013, the podcast has released over 400 episodes and counting. Feel free to stream the podcast in any order, with the more recent episodes covering timely topics like Monkeypox, the history of abortion, the nation’s infant formula shortage, COVID-19, the Omicron Variant, and more. Dr. Sydnee also tackles medical questions in standalone episodes talking about everything from ear gauges and absinthe to tasting with your feet, healing hickeys, and more.
Do you remember when Cheerios boxes were labeled “heart-healthy,” promising to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease? There’s an episode unpacking breakfast cereal fallacies, and why it’s now rare to see random health benefits marked on cereal boxes. Spoiler alert: cereal isn’t medicine.
Have you heard about Harry Beno, the poison king? After hanging out in a barn, Harry believed he was immune to strychnine. Harry decided to try consuming poison in front of audiences then ramped up his act by lodging nails in his head and getting buried alive. Harry confused everyone from doctors to audience members, and you can hear more about his bizarre story in an episode.
Episodes occasionally delve into important figures who positively contributed to medicine, such as Dr. Charles Drew, the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Columbia University. Dr. Drew was first to discover an optimal method to preserve blood ready for transfusions. This episode also discusses the national blood shortage happening in 2022.
There are episodes on vomiting, behavioral effects (or lack thereof) from eating food dye, plutonium, alka-seltzer, Havana Syndrome, Naloxone, St. John’s Wort, Blue Light Therapy, and many more.
Justin McElroy co-hosts additional podcasts including “My Brother, My Brother and Me” with his brothers, “The Adventure Zone, and “Ethersea” among others.
“Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine” was recommended to Podsauce by one of our guests, Connor Franta, who loves a great educational listen. Connor hosts “Burnout,” a series all about workplace culture, people’s breaking points, and what we can do about it. He also shared he listens to “Ologies with Alie Ward.”
Check out new episodes of “Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine” wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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