"Not very long ago, the rituals and symbols of healing constituted the bulk of the physicians armamentarium. In the early decades of the 20th century, most of the medication that doctors carried in their little black bags and kept in their office cabinets had little or no pharmacological value against the maladies for which they were prescribed. Nevertheless, their use in the appropriate clinical context was no doubt frequently beneficial."(Brown, 6)

Even though placebos have been proven effective medicine time and time again the FDA remains reluctant to approve them for anything more than clinical research. The FDA stands on their disapproval of placebos as medicine on the basis that patients are to be given the best trea

tment available. Who is to say that a placebo is not as, if not more effective than the accepted remedy?

Blakeslee, Sandra. "Placebo." New York Times. 13, October 1998: Article 2. A collection of stories documenting the success of the placebo effect in medicine. This article was an excellent source of validation to the healing effects of placebos.

How do placebos work? There are many theories on how placebos work but really no definite answers. Many believe that the response to placebos is one of conditioning. That is that the site of a doctor, his white coat, the sterile smell, and a prescribed medication is equated with being cured, and because we think that we will get better we do. Some think that a placebo might reduce stress, allowing the body to regain some natural optimum level of health. Others believe that special molecules in the brain help carry out the placebo effect. A recent study found that stressed animals could produce a valium like substance in their brain if they have some control over the source of the stress. People must certainly share similar brain chemistry. (Blakeslee, 3) In any case, do we have to

Many physicians discredit placebos because the feel that the use of a placebo is lying to the patient. However it is impossible to prove that doctors aren't lying by putting their faith in accepted treatments because it is impossible to prove that the treatment doesn’t rely, even in part, on a placebo effect. It is inconsevable to the medical field that the treatment is not 100% responsible for the cure. " Nobody wants to own it. Even shamans and witch doctors would be offended by the idea that their healing powers depended on the placebo effect."(Harvard college, 1)

know how a placebo works if it is proven that it does work? There are certain birth control methods and stress therapies that work effectively, without explanation and with FDA approval.

President and fellows of Harvard College. "The Pleasing Placebo." Mind/Brain/Behavior. 1995: A collection on theories of how the placebo effect works and in contrast how it could fail. A great source of

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Approximate Word count = 1430
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)