In light of the recent victory of Simon Singh over the British Chiropractic Association I wanted to put up something I wrote a little while ago. People should not tolerate the pedaling of exaggerated claims and flat out lies like those given off by the BCA and homeopaths worldwide. I wrote this piece about the placebo effect which is a measurable background activity of all drug (real or fake) used to treat disease. It seems to be based on patients expectations and is a very interesting phenomenon. It previously appeared in The Adelaide Advertiser on 06.12.2008.
Rosy Glasses, Crimson Pills (http://www.flickr.com/photos/psyberartist/2447542822/)
It sounds like something a witch-doctor would say: If you simply think the little green pill will help cure your disease, it will . . . Believe it or not, it’s a scientifically proven truth.
