Henry K. Beecher

effect is a fascinating discovery that was first studied by Henry K. Beecher in World War II. Beecher served as an Army medic in WWII, helping wounded soldiers coming back from battle against the Axis forces. While treating soldiers, Beecher realized that the morphine supply was running low and he was forced to use a saline solution to infuse into the wounded warriors coming back into base camp. In an act to help the wounded soldiers, Beecher continued to notify the soldiers that the solution being

endorphins in response to the brain’s signals that the medication should work, even if it physically does not. Thirty-three percent of those who were given standard placebo doses in one experiment done by Henry Beecher had said that they felt immediate and extremely effective results ( Beecher, Henry K. "The Powerful Placebo." Journal of the American Medical Association 159.17 (1955): 1602. Web.). Some may be critical of the method due to this, but other studies had shown that fifty-six percent of patients

The placebo effect is a widely known phenomenon where patients are given some form of dummy medication in place of actual medication that produces the same effect as the real medication would have. They intend to help stimulate areas of the brain that may prompt the release of chemicals such as endorphins to aid in the relief of the symptom. Tests have shown that forms such as injections psychologically perform better than pills, because of the slight pain that injections bring ( Freeman, Shanna

The history of the placebo The placebo, though unknown at the time, has been a fundamental part of medicine since antiquity. Simply put by Shapiro and Shapiro (who are considered influential writers in placebo research), “the history of the placebo is the history of medical practice itself, until modern times”. (Shapiro & Shapiro, 1997) In their book, ‘The Powerful Placebo: From Ancient Priest to Modern Physician’, there is an extensive list of ancient medicine medicaments and procedures all of

The art and science of medicine is a continuously growing field of knowledge. In spite of the vast developments that have transpired through the ages in the history of healing, scientists have barely uncovered everything there is to know about how the healthy body functions and how it reacts to disease. We cannot assume that what we know now is sufficient to solve our common problems in health or that in some cases, there is no remedy for yet, unsolved puzzles of incurable disease. The natural process

The Anti-Placebo Effect? In my last web paper I struggled with the idea that Melatonin is supposed to make people sleepy. If anything I became more restless. Well, what is that all about? So, in this paper, I decided that I wanted to find out, what that was "about". If you pull it apart, you can tell that it has something to do with the preconceived ideas that we have running around in our heads. So then, I thought, well, that is the placebo effect right? If you think that something, such as

The term “placebo effect” has been defined in many forms since the early Biblical era. According to Dr. Patrick Lemoine, author of, “The Placebo Effect: History, Biology, and Ethics,” stated that the term “placebo effect” was actually derived from a mistake made from the translation of the Bible into Latin by a gentleman whose name was Jerome (Lemoine). During the early parts of history and when the Bible was in the midst of being translated, Psalms 116:9, was written as Placebo Domino, meaning “I

What if there was a new drug that’s making you high, but is just a sugar pill? What if you can get drunk with non-alcoholic drinks? What if there was a pill that can cure all your physical and emotional problems? This is known as the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which some people experience a type of benefit after the use of a placebo. A placebo is any substance with no known medical effects; such as sterile water, saline solution, or a sugar pill. (About.com Psychology)

“Placebo effect is the term applied by medical science to the therapeutical and healing effects of inert medicines and/or ritualistic or faith healing manipulations. [1] [2]. When referring to medicines, placebo is a preparation which is pharmacologically inert but which may have a therapeutical effect based solely on the power of suggestion. It may be administered in any of the ways in which pharmaceutical products are administered.[3] Sometimes known as non-specific effects or subject-expectancy

My Mother, My Hero In 1859 Henry Ward Beecher said, "the mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom." I believe that statement because of experiences I’ve had with my own mother. I have learned more about life from her than from my 15 years of schooling. Over the last 20 years my mother has taught me many valuable lessons just by being a living example of compassion, thoughtfulness, and generosity. She is an angel that has protected and carried me throughout life. In the book, One Day My Soul