Sawbones: Would a Healing Vape be More Efficient Than a Healing Potion?

Sawbones: Would a Healing Vape be More Efficient Than a Healing Potion?

Author: Justin McElroy, Dr. Sydnee McElroy February 24, 2026 Duration: 42:44
The snow’s piling up outside so we’re cozying down with another batch of listener medical questions! Can I take all my antibiotics at once? If my twin has an allergy, do I have it too? Are prenatal vitamins good for people who do not want to get pregnant? And can air literally get knocked out of your lungs? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: https://www.ilcm.org/donate/

Ever wondered why doctors used to prescribe cigarettes or thought drilling a hole in your skull could cure a headache? That’s the strange territory explored each week on Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine. Hosted by Dr. Sydnee McElroy, a family physician, and her husband Justin McElroy, this is a deeply funny and often cringe-inducing journey through the bizarre history of medical treatments. Together, they dig into the archives to uncover the dumb, bad, gross, weird, and downright dangerous ideas that have masqueraded as healing science. You’ll hear about everything from radioactive tonics and mercury-laden cure-alls to the peculiar origins of modern fitness fads, all delivered with the easy rapport of a couple who finds humor in humanity’s well-intentioned blunders. This podcast isn’t just a list of historical errors; it’s a conversation that connects past medical misadventures to our current understanding of health, making you appreciate the scientific method while you laugh. The blend of Sydnee’s medical expertise and Justin’s incredulous curiosity creates a uniquely entertaining and informative listen, perfect for anyone fascinated by the odd intersections of comedy, history, and human wellness. Tune in for stories that are as educational as they are hilarious, reminding us that the path to good health has been anything but straight.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine
Podcast Episodes
Sawbones: Whooping Cough [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:09
Depending on where you live, you might be hearing a lot lately about Pertussis or Whooping Cough, even in Dr. Sydnee and Justin’s home county. Dr. Sydnee talks about the long history of this disease, its symptoms, and ho…
Sawbones: Physicians' Unions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:47
Imagine if your doctor could go on strike in the middle of a treatment. That’s the most popular argument against physicians’ unions, but there’s a lot more to the issue. Dr. Sydnee talks about the process of training doc…
Sawbones: Seven-Second Poop Trick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:32
It's a real medical (with a lower-case m) mystery, as Dr. Sydnee tries to find the source of a trick on TikTok that reportedly helps alleviate constipation. Join Sydnee on her surprisingly difficult journey to find what…
Sawbones: Book Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:01
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 you…
Sawbones Classic Double-Feature: A Medicine Called Christmas 1 & 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:43
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 Ha…
Sawbones: How's My Lump Doing? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:22
As a gift to the audience, we have another Sawbones Q and A, answering strange questions submitted by listeners! How does a menstrual disk work? How should we ACTUALLY clean our ears? Are cat biscuits bad for pregnancy?…
Sawbones: Walking Pneumonia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:07
It’s nearly winter, which means the return of mycoplasma or “Walking Pneumonia” on this hemisphere. This week Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about how this infection was discovered, the questionable way it was researched and…
Sawbones: Tesla Medbed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:01
Somehow the Tesla medical bed, or Tesla Biohealing Wellness Hotel and Resort is not related to Elon Musk. It is also not really related to actual medical care. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about another wellness product an…
Sawbones: Project 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:54
Needless to say it’s going to be a long four years for the United States. This week’s episode of Sawbones offers some guidance on what we might expect for medicine and health care going forward and what pro-active steps…
Sawbones Classic: History of Abortion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:57
It's Election Day in the United States of America, and so we present this Sawbones episode on the history of abortion from May 2022. Go vote! With the recent news about Roe v. Wade, it’s important to talk about the histo…