Sandy's joke on the other forum...

real.

Sandy said....

> Let me give you an example: some people may
> be ill and not know it; but once the doctor
> gives them a diagnosis and poor prognosis it
> hastens their death...

> Others are given a placebo and live a long
> and healthy life...

It's interesting you mention this....

Dr. Marc Cohen (who I mentioned, though not by name, in a different recent message on people's "environment") was also talking to a friend and me about placebos.... He's both an MD and is also the director of the Centre for Complementary Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

He said that generally, when they do "double-blind" studies (neither the doctors nor the test groups know which one is taking the placebo), 30% of the people in the placebo group improve their health.

This can extend to various things.... If people are given a placebo and told it will improve their condition, 30% of the placebo group will improve their condition in the way expected. He even spoke about some clinical trials he's currently involved with regarding a treatment for baldness.... He said 30% of the placebo group grew some hair!

This is a real physical effect.... The placebo effect can apparently be quite powerful. 30% of the people given a placebo will improve their condition....

- Dien