The placebo effect is SCIENCE

[Aristus]

9. I've never prescribed a placebo for a patient, although God knows there have been times

when I wanted to.

There are some minor ailments that require nothing more than some conservative management, i.e. rest, plenty of water, warm saltwater gargles, warm wet compresses, hot vapor treatments, etc. And most of my patients accept that and comply with the treatment plan, and end up feeling better.

But there are always those patients who express irritation or anger if they don't receive a pill of some kind. These are the ones I wish I could prescribe a placebo for. I wish I had a bottle of sugar pills in the office, labeled 'amphohydrotiracetezine' or something, and give these to patients who will recover just fine with a fairly conservative treatment, but insist on pills just the same.