I get to read Skeptic at my daughter's. They subscribe to the magazine. It is one interesting magazine.

The Placebo Effect

by Harriet Hall, MD, Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-05-20#feature

So much has been written and said about the placebo effect that we thought we should put our SkepDoc on the trail of finding out what is fact and what is myth about placebos and their effects. You will be surprised by some of Dr. Hall’s findings. Be sure to check out the relevant books and the Skeptic back issue that we‘ve highlighted in the article which are available at Shop Skeptic.

Jane D. was a regular visitor to our ER, usually showing up late at night demanding an injection of the narcotic Demerol, the only thing that worked for her severe headaches. One night the staff psychiatrist had the nurse give her an injection of saline instead. It worked! He told Jane she had responded to a placebo, discussed the implications, and thought he’d helped her understand that her problem was psychological. But as he was leaving the room, Jane asked, “Can I get that new medicine again next time instead of the Demerol? It really worked great!”

What’s going on here? What is the placebo effect and how does it work?

The term “placebo effect” is unfortunate; it leads to misunderstandings. Placebos themselves don’t have any effect. They are inert...