Placebo effect Believing Sugar pills Think positive! Commentary

John Haygarth medicine

Placebo effect

• Elisha Perkins patented
• his metallic “tractors” for the extraction
• of “the noxious electrical fluid” that,
• he said, “lay at the root of suffering.”
• Perkins passed the points
• of three-inch tapered metallic rods
• over the part of the body in pain
• for about twenty minutes
• and claimed a great many cures—
• inflammation, rheumatism,
• and pain in the head.
• Could it have been his rods
• were made of an exotic magical metal alloy?
• Perkins didn’t admit
• they were made of steel and brass.
• John Haygarth compared the efficacy
• of Perkins tractors with similar wooden rods
• and found the wooden rods worked just as well,
• showing “what powerful influence upon diseases
• is produced by mere imagination.”

Believing

• Real pain is not worse
• than imaginary pain.
• Even fake medicine,
• administered with reassurance,
• can hit the spot.
• Believing that it helps
• helps.
• It’s good scientific practice
• to test a placebo as a control.
• A new drug or practice
• must do better than imagination.

Sugar pills

• The effect of vitamin S
• is nearly indistinguishable.
• If it makes you happy,
• it’s good for you.
• A good bedside manner
• enhances any therapy.
• We try to say things
• to attract potential clients.
• Give the price without options;
• never describe the worst case.
• A ready aphorism
• can stand in for wisdom.

Think positive!

• At our bus stop my friend would
• put his finger in the air and say
• “Think positive!” and then
• our bus would come on time.
• Jogging, yoga, meditation,
• fortune telling, whatever
• rocks your boat, but then
• don’t you wonder what it is?
• Are people happy because
• they’re lucky? want it? deserve it?
• work hard? walk on the sunny side?
• or take the pill, bitter or sweet?