Fri, 3 November 2017
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 |
Fri, 27 October 2017
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 |
Thu, 19 October 2017
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 |
Thu, 5 October 2017
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 |
Sun, 1 October 2017
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 |
Fri, 22 September 2017
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 |
Sun, 17 September 2017
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 |
Mon, 11 September 2017
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 |
Fri, 25 August 2017
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 |
Thu, 17 August 2017
This week on Sawbones, join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for a timely, tragic history of eugenics. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 11 August 2017
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 |
Thu, 3 August 2017
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 |
Wed, 19 July 2017
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 |
Thu, 13 July 2017
The man who (maybe) inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein didn't just try to breathe life into corpses. He also invented a medicine so toxic it was used in chemical warfare. Also, a kind of blue! This is all real. We swear. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 7 July 2017
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 |
Fri, 30 June 2017
This week, special guest Laura Kate Dale joins Dr. Sydnee and Justin for a (very) incomplete history of gender confirmation. We hope you'll join us too! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sun, 25 June 2017
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
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Sat, 17 June 2017
This week, we conclude our series on "conversion therapy" with the religious aspect of this horrific "treatment." Trigger Warning: The treatments used in these "therapies" were upsetting, and those sensitive to hearing about them may wish to avoid this episode. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Fri, 9 June 2017
This week, we're honoring Pride Month and the LGBTQ community with an exploration of the disturbing history of conversion therapy. Trigger Warning: The treatments used in these "therapies" were upsetting, and those sensitive to hearing about them may wish to avoid this episode. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 2 June 2017
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 |
Thu, 25 May 2017
Live from Austin, Texas, it's ... well, it's one of the grossest episodes Justin and Dr. Sydnee have ever recorded. So, sorry about that. Anyway, let's talk about The Clap! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 18 May 2017
We mentioned him in our last episode, but Vivien Thomas deserves his own episode. Join Dr. Sydnee and Just as they explore the life of the high-school educated grandson of slaves that changed the face of surgery. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 11 May 2017
Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel's heartfelt plea for healthcare on behalf of his infant son, Tetralogy of Fallot has been in the headlines. This week on Sawbones, join us for the inspiring story of how we fought back against the debilitating ailment. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 3 May 2017
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Dr. Sydnee explore the Salisbury diet, and meet the incredible woman who turned into a poop detective to prove it right. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sun, 30 April 2017
This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore a medical mystery: Why, for a town in Colorado, was having brown teeth a sign of great tooth health? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sun, 23 April 2017
Just how long has the first-year doctor checking you out been awake? The answer may surprise you. The biggest surprise, however, is why a sleepy doctor may be better than the alternative. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 14 April 2017
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore some of the reasons people eat things they really shouldn't. Like dirt. And cigarette butts. And clay. And mattresses. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 6 April 2017
This week, Justin and Dr. Sydnee bring you the thrilling story of how a former department store clerk from Greece saved countless lives with the invention of a single test. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 30 March 2017
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 |
Thu, 23 March 2017
Were you aware that history's coolest doctor was a guy named James Barry who began their life as a woman? Sit down. For this super-sized #MaxFunDrive episode, we've got the whole story. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Thu, 16 March 2017
Live from the Crow's Nest of the ms Westerdam, it's Sawbones all about norovirus! (Hey, we're on a cruise ship, what else are we gonna talk about? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 9 March 2017
This week, Dr. Sydnee's dad Tommy Smirl sits in for Justin as they explore the history of patient privacy. Why does the doctor have to keep your secrets? Find out this week! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 1 March 2017
Last week, we took you through detox. This week, we're going WAY deeper with a single treatment: The Purification Rundown. Strap in, folks, this one GOES PLACES. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sun, 26 February 2017
Before you start your next juice cleanse or coffee enema, we beg of you: Let Dr. Sydnee and Justin reassure you of the amazing detoxification powers of the human body. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 17 February 2017
Hey, but what ARE sinuses. It's OK if you don't know, Justin didn't either. Join him in a brief education from doctor Sydnee and hear about DaVinci's near miss with sinus history. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 9 February 2017
This is a story about Tarrare. Tarrare was always hungry. Here is a list of some of the things Tarrare ate: A cat. A puppy. A snake. An eel. Offal. Poultices. And maybe people. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 3 February 2017
America has welcomed millions of immigrants in its time. This week, we explore the medical hoops they've had to jump through to get in and explore how those have changed over the years. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 27 January 2017
The American health insurance system is unlike any other in the world, and not in the good way. It's probably about to get worse. This is the story of how we got here. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 19 January 2017
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 |
Fri, 6 January 2017
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 |
Sat, 24 December 2016
It's Candlenights 2016, and that can only mean one thing: Dr. Sydnee is trying to ruin Christmas again. Join her as she explains to poor, pitiful Justin all of Santa's terrible health risks, recorded live in Huntington, WV. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 16 December 2016
Chapped lips are a minor annoyance, but that didn't stop old-timey people from smushing together TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF BRAINS to rub on them. Join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for a history of cheilitis. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 9 December 2016
It's the perfect time of year for gingerbread cookies, but what do you do with all that excess ginger? Well, maybe put it in a horse's butt? No, no, don't do that. But some people do. All that and more on this week's history of ginger. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 2 December 2016
Cold temperatures mean chapped lips and (for a lot of people) that might also mean Vaseline. But Vaseline is used for SO much more. Like way, way, way, way more. Join Dr. Sydnee and Justin as they talk about one of the most useful things ever invented. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 25 November 2016
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 |
Sun, 20 November 2016
This week on Sawbones, we celebrate the everyday heroism of The Last Chicken Pox Generation. Also, Dr. Sydnee and Justin share your best chicken pox stories. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 11 November 2016
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin help provide you with the answers to all the medical questions you can muster, everything from knocking people out in action movies to tastebud inflamation. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 3 November 2016
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin delve into what may just be history's oddest actual medical diagnosis: Frankenberry stool. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 28 October 2016
A lot of folks like scary movies around Halloween time, but what happens when "spooked out" becomes "legitimate medical condition"? This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin tell the story of a movie that might have gone too far. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 20 October 2016
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 |
Fri, 14 October 2016
Immigrants get the job done, and that extends to curing a mysterious disease once blamed on everything from bad corn to summertime. This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin introduce you to the doc who cracked the case. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Sat, 8 October 2016
Justin is not the hero Dr. Sydnee needs, but he's the one we all deserve. Because he's finally willing to admit the dark secret he's kept hidden for so long. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sat, 1 October 2016
Is laughter really the best medicine? No! Medicine is. The history of how we arrived at that conclusion is the subject of this week's Sawbones. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sat, 24 September 2016
If you've paid even passing attention to the American presidential race, you've probably heard a lot of talk about pneumonia recently. This week, Dr. Sydnee and Justin try to provide some historical perspective. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 15 September 2016
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 |
Wed, 31 August 2016
How did a journey that began with Prince Albert hunting for jellyfish on a cruise end with one of the biggest calamities in prescription drug history? Join Justin and Sydnee for the story of the EpiPen. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Fri, 26 August 2016
Celebrities have started some pretty weird fads, but perhaps none are weirder than the one started by King Louis XIV, who made it cool ... to have a fistula. Join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for this very special episode. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 17 August 2016
We're continuing to celebrate the Summer Olympics by presenting all the weird, terrible, horrid way athletes have tried to cheat their way to winning over the years. From donkey hooves to guinea pig sperm, it's ... it's a weird one. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 10 August 2016
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 |
Thu, 4 August 2016
It's poison! It's medicine! It's both! ... OK, so it's mainly poison, but it hasn't always been that way. Join Justin and Dr. Sydnee for a brief tour of medical arsenic. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 29 July 2016
Sure, it may seem like a magical plant, but just how helpful is that big bottle of green goo on your shelf? This week: Dr. Sydnee and Justin present the medical history of aloe. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Thu, 21 July 2016
We're throwing a Boston Tea Party of our own as we explore the strange history of medical tea live from Boston's historic Wilbur Theater. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 13 July 2016
Is it really so bad to pop pimples? Can you cut the mold off food and eat it? Is it fatal to hold in a sneeze? These questions and so many more are answered on our latest Q&A episode! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 7 July 2016
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 |
Thu, 30 June 2016
If you've ever used salt for ANYTHING other than making cold french fries moderately edible, you need to listen to this episode. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 23 June 2016
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 |
Thu, 16 June 2016
The presidents have, by and large, all been sick, sick men. We're going to talk about exactly how sick as Dr. Sydnee and Justin explore presidential disease. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 8 June 2016
In a way, it's all lead up to this. Live from the PlayStation theater in New York City, we've finally dedicated an entire episode to Pliny the Elder, patron saint of Sawbones. Also: A musical number! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Tue, 31 May 2016
Holy crap you guys, we talked to Mary Roach! Yes, THAT Mary Roach, the author of Gulp, Bonk, Spook and her newest, Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, due out in early June. We spoke with Roach about a history of wrong thinking on diarrhea, why the military kept weather-related secrets from her and the Medicare code for maggots. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 27 May 2016
If you, like us, have been seeing kombucha everywhere, you've probably heard about it's many, many health benefits. Like, SO MANY health benefits. You know what ... you've listened to Sawbones for a while, right? You know where this is going. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 19 May 2016
It's time to talk about the ailment so scary that Hippocrates told other doctors they shouldn't mess with it: Kidney stones. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 11 May 2016
If you found a lump of hair in an animal's stomach, would you first thought be "Huh, I bet that will help cure poison!" No? See, that's why you'll never cut it as an old-timey person. Let's talk about bezoars! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 4 May 2016
We continue our exploration of the ear with an examination of one of history's most annoying (and hardest to treat) ailment: Tinnitus, otherwise known as ringing in the ears. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 29 April 2016
We're back with answers to more of the medical questions so goofy you're afraid to ask your doctor. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 21 April 2016
Last week on Sawbones, we moved into your ear. This week on Sawbones, we're staying put with an episoe about the dizzying number of ways we've profaned mice to fix earaches. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 15 April 2016
This week on Sawbones, we make earwax way, way worse before we remove all of it. Well, most of it. You gotta leave some you know, it's good for you. Eh, you should probably just listen. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 6 April 2016
In what may be the most shocking episode of Sawbones to date, we reveal the dirty truth about hydrogen peroxide: It's maybe not so useful for anything. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 30 March 2016
Dr. Sydnee and Justin try to apologize for their poopie episode with an episode about blood. They are bad at apologizing. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Wed, 23 March 2016
Welp, here's an episode about poop. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 16 March 2016
It's #MaxFunDrive time and Justin and Sydnee are marking the occasion with a special episode in which all of your goofiest, most embarrassing medical questions will be answered by Dr. Sydnee. The link to donate? Well, so happy you asked! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 9 March 2016
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee harness the power of history's longest lasting, most widespread and (perhaps) least effective home remedy. The good news about vinegar? Still great on fries. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 3 March 2016
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee have been working in the coal mine, and paying REAL close attention to where they step in the their history of hookworm. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 24 February 2016
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee return to the fertile land of patent medicine quacks to introduce you to Curtis Howe Springer, the King of Quacks. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 18 February 2016
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 |
Wed, 10 February 2016
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee really "rock out" with an episode all about the healing power of crystals. Get it? Rock out? Man, that's one great joke. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 3 February 2016
This week on Sawbones, a new disease is taking the world by storm and Sydnee and Justin are there to explain what everyone is so freaked out about. Well, Sydnee explains. Justin freaks out. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 27 January 2016
This week on Sawbones, it's The Trial of The Century as Justin tries to prove to Sydnee once and for all that the spleen is useless. Take your seats, here comes the judge. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 21 January 2016
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee have got some wicked nosebleeds, but it's no problem: They've got some Doug to stuff up there. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Sun, 17 January 2016
his week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee drop out of school and have some pre-marital sex to cure their pseudo-anemia. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 6 January 2016
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 |
Wed, 23 December 2015
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 |
Fri, 18 December 2015
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 |
Wed, 9 December 2015
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin provide a brief history of caring for gunshot wounds. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Fri, 4 December 2015
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin discuss one reason the world is a little less scary for today's parents: The history of scarlet fever. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers
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Fri, 27 November 2015
This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee and Justin highlight some of medicine's most incredible superheroes. Their power? Eating trash and not dying. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 18 November 2015
This week on Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin are back with, and we don't think we're exaggerating here: The weirdest story they've ever told. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 4 November 2015
This week on Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin finally stick it to Joy Behar (just a couple months too late to be relevant) with their brief history of nursing. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Thu, 29 October 2015
This week on Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin dip into their archives to find some great/terrible ideas for costumes from the history of medicine. Also: Spooky medical stories to help you impress around the campfire! Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Wed, 21 October 2015
This week on Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin embark on a tour of the history of roundworms, in an episode Sydnee says will be just "Part 1" of the history of roundworms, which Justin finds horrifying, for the record. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |
Fri, 16 October 2015
This week on Sawbones, Justin and Sydnee are dodging ticks as we explore the surprisingly short history of Lyme Disease. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers |