Before everyone hits the back-to-school grind, we’ve got a fun episode about Freddy Pharkas. A historical figure of frontier medicine? No, a video game character from 1993. Justin and Dr. Sydnee talk about how a farmer-cist was made, as well as the real and fake medicine Freddy doled out on the frontier. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org/

We're bringing the heat with listeners' weird medical questions! Are the hot parts of the body the only Sweaty parts? Is spicy food spicier some days more than others? Is there any benefits to extra things in glasses lenses? And if your stomach can expand, why not your bladder? Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Immigrant Defenders Law Center: https://www.immdef.org/

A dovetail from last week’s episode, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the official pain scale of insect stings, all compiled by Justin O. Schmidt. So who was this Justin, how did his research contribute to science, and did he really get stung by all these insects to make a non-objective scale? (Answer: yes). Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Immigrant Defenders Law Center: https://www.immdef.org/

After an unfortunate and painful encounter with an angry flying insect, Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about wasps: how their stings work, and a journey into the science behind some folk remedies. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Immigrant Defenders Law Center: https://www.immdef.org/

It used to be that if you needed to get to the hospital quickly, you would call the herse – because it had the space to transport a person who was lying down. Well, all of that changed in Columbus, OH, with the Heartmobile, known as the first ambulance. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about its development, implementation, and the thrilling end of its ambulatory adventures. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Dr. Sydnee and Justin said they'd talk about when the US Health Department replaced the vaccine council . . . well, it's happened. But to EVERYONE'S surprise, it's more of a mess than a triumph. Dr. Sydnee talks about all the changes going on, the motive behind them, and why some good intentions can lead to dangerous outcomes. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

Just in time for The Prom season, Justin and Dr. Sydnee bring your weird summer medical questions! Do other citrus fruits affect medication, or is it really just grapefruits? Why do hiccups happen so sporadically? Do carrots actually give you good vision? Can a broken finger fully heal by itself? Plus, an update on vaccines in the United States. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

It's a Sawbones grab-bag, featuring some pop-sci mythbusting around MSG, a reality check into current events around vaccines, and a fun new questionable product bringing chocolate to the bedroom. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Center for Reproductive Rights: https://reproductiverights.org/

With all the news around fluoride, we bring the classic Sawbones episode about the benefits of fluoride in drinking water, because the science has not changed. 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 https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Center for Reproductive Rights: https://reproductiverights.org/

There was a time when Popes had secondary careers (or primary ones) on to of their Papal one. This includes Pope John XXI, the only Pope to have also been a physician. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about this non-traditional Pope and his contribution to medicine in the 12th century. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Center for Reproductive Rights: https://reproductiverights.org/

Sawbones brings you a studio version of the show at the ye olde Harmony House Renaissance Faire. Justin and Dr. Sydnee talk about how medicine evolved in the Renaissance beyond what passed for scientific theories during the middle ages including the four humours, alchemy, and the real cause of syphilis (insulting the sun god). Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Center for Reproductive Rights: https://reproductiverights.org/

It's a myth that tetanus is only found on rusty metal. What really matters is that a wound that is a dirty, deep puncture wound could to introduce the bacteria into the body. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about the long history of humans and tetanus, what it does to a body, and why maybe it's not a great idea to garden barefoot. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ "The John Birch Society" by The Chad Mitchell Trio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWCYSVZhPoU National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/about/who-we-are

The Medical Freedom or the Health Freedom Movement is not new, but it is currently gaining more traction and attention under RFK, Jr. On its face, it is a political movement that distrusts pharmaceutical companies and government regulations for supplements. But Dr. Sydnee talks about its history and roots in strange conspiracies and biases from the 1950s – and what the movement means for us today. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ "The John Birch Society" by The Chad Mitchell Trio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWCYSVZhPoU National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/about/who-we-are

TikTok has become enthralled with the idea of Thalassotherapy... which is basically going to the ocean to feel better. Dr. Sydnee talks about the history of this "sea cure" and Dr. Richard Russell, the man who popularized it in the second half of the eighteenth century. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/about/who-we-are

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

What medical drama does a doctor on a cruise ship get involved in? Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about Dr. Odyssey: Shark Attack!, and the follow-up, Dr. Odyssey: Shark Attack! Part 2: Orca. It's a wild ride, but some of the medical beats are surprisingly accurate. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Harmony House: https://harmonyhousewv.com/

Dr. Sydnee brings a little levity as she talks about a new medical show, The Pitt. Following fictional doctors in real-time(ish), Dr. Sydnee discusses how it compares to working in an actual ER, as well as it how it compares to the 1990s show ER. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Harmony House: https://harmonyhousewv.com/

It’s not MaxFunDrive without a wild kickoff spectacular! Former real-life VJ and host of MTV's Spring Break 1999, Dave Holmes, takes your favorite MaxFun hosts through some wacky ‘90s- and Spring Break-themed mini games!! Featuring: Dave Holmes, Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya, Dimitry Pompée, Tom Lum, Ellen Weatherford, Alex Schmidt, Brenda Snell, Drea Clark, Alonso Duralde, Dan McCoy, Jordan Morris, Manolo Moreno, Ella Hubber, Caroline Roper, Ella McLeod, John-Luke Roberts, Justin McElroy, Clint McElroy, Mike Cabellon, Sierra Katow, Hal Lublin, Danielle Radford, John Moe, Christian Dueñas, Christian Duguay.

How dangerous is jousting? Just look into the example of King Henry VIII of England. The Tudor king is infamous for his six wives, but Dr. Sydnee explains how a jousting injury may have changed his behavior – and changed the course of history. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Harmony House: https://harmonyhousewv.com/

Kleptomania is defined by an undeniable compulsion to steal, so it has wavered between legitimate diagnosis and flimsy criminal defense to somewhere in between since its inception. This week on Sawbones, Dr. Sydnee unpacks the facts from fiction while Justin tries to steal the show. Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/ Harmony House: https://harmonyhousewv.com/