53 Diagram: Ernst E, Pittler MH. Re-analysis of previous metaanalysis of clinical trials of homeopathy. J Clin Epi (2000); 53 (11): 1188
56 ‘A landmark metaanalysis’: Shang A, Huwiler-Muntener K, Nartey L, Juni P, Dorig S, Sterne JA, Pewsner D, Egger M. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet (27 August–2 September 2005); 366 (9487): 726–32
58 ‘One study actually thought’: Tallon D, Chard J, Dieppe P. Relation between agendas of the research community and the research consumer. Lancet (2000); 355: 2037–40
61 ‘They might flick’: BBC Radio 4 Case Notes (19 July 2005)
Chapter 5: The Placebo Effect
63 ‘Shall [the placebo]’: The placebo in medicine. Med Press (18 June 1890): 642
64 ‘Henry Beecher’: Beecher HK. The powerful placebo. JAMA (24 December 1955); 159 (17): 1602–6
64 ‘Peter Parker’: Skrabanek P, McCormick J.
66 ‘Daniel Moerman’: Moerman DE. General medical effectiveness and human biology: placebo effects in the treatment of ulcer disease. Med Anth Quarterly (August 1983); 14; 4: 3–16
67 ‘in a different dataset’: de Craen AJ, Moerman DE, Heisterkamp SH, Tytgat GN, Tijssen JG, Kleijnen J. Placebo effect in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. Br J Clin Pharmacol (December 1999); 48 (6): 853–60
68 ‘Blackwell [1972]’: Blackwell B, Bloomfield SS, Buncher CR. Demonstration to medical students of placebo responses and non-drug factors. Lancet (10 June 1972); 1 (7763): 1279–82
68 ‘Another study’: Schapira K, McClelland HA, Griffiths NR, Newell DJ. Study on the effects of tablet colour in the treatment of anxiety states. BMJ (23 May 1970); 1 (5707): 446–9
68 ‘a survey of the colour’: de Craen AJ, Roos PJ, Leonard de Vries A, Kleijnen J. Effect of colour of drugs: systematic review of perceived effect of drugs and of their effectiveness. BMJ (21–28 December 1996); 313 (7072): 1624–6
68 ‘In 1970’: Hussain MZ, Ahad A. Tablet colour in anxiety states. BMJ (22 August 1970); 3 (5720): 466
69 ‘Route of administration’: Grenfell RF, Briggs AH, Holland WC. Double blind study of the treatment of hypertension. JAMA (1961) 176: 124–8; De Craen AJM, Tijssen JGP, de Gans J, Kleijnen J. Placebo effect in the acute treatment of migraine: subcutaneous placebos are better than oral placebos. J Neur (2000) 247: 183–8; Gracely RH, Dubner R, McGrath PA. Narcotic analgesia: fentanyl reduces the intensity but not the unpleasantness of painful tooth pulp sensations. Science (23 March 1979); 203 (4386): 1261–3
69 ‘the bizarre story of packaging’: Kaptchuk TJ, Stason WB, Davis RB, Legedza AR, Schnyer RN, Kerr CE, Stone DA, Nam BH, Kirsch I, Goldman RH. Sham device v inert pill: randomised controlled trial of two placebo treatments. BMJ (18 February 2006); 332 (7538): 391–7
69 ‘Branthwaite and Cooper’: Branthwaite A, Cooper P. Analgesic effects of branding in treatment of headaches. BMJ (Clin Res ed) (1981); 282: 1576–8
70 ‘a recent study’: Waber
70 ‘a paper currently in press’: Ginoa F. Do we listen to advice just because we paid for it? The impact of advice cost on its use. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 2008, Article in Press (published online 25 April 2008). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2008.03.001
70 ‘Montgomery and Kirsch’: Montgomery GH, Kirsch I. Mechanisms of placebo pain reduction: an empirical investigation. Psych Science (1996) 7: 174–6
71 ‘a placebo-controlled trial’: Cobb LA, Thomas GI, Dillard DH, Merendino KA, Bruce RA. An evaluation of internal-mammary-artery ligation by a double-blind technic. N Eng J Med (28 May 1959); 260 (22): 1115–18
72 ‘A Swedish study’: Linde C, Gadler F, Kappenberger L, Ryden L. Placebo effect of pacemaker implantation in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. PIC Study Group. Am J Cardiol (15 March 1999); 83 (6): 903–7
72 ‘Electrical machines have’: Johnson AG. Surgery as a placebo. Lancet (22 October 1994); 344 (8930): 1140–2
72 ‘an elegant study’: Crum AJ, Langer EJ. Mind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effect. Psych Science (February 2007); 18 (2): 165–71
73 ‘Gryll and Katahn’: Gryll SL, Katahn M. Situational factors contributing to the placebos effect. Psychopharmacology (Berl) (1978); 57: 253–61
74 ‘Gracely [1985]’: Gracely RH, Dubner R, Deeter WR, Wolskee PJ. Clinicians’ expectations influence placebo analgesia. Lancet (5 January 1985); 1 (8419): 43
75 ‘In 1987, Thomas’: Thomas KB. General practice consultations: is there any point in being positive? BMJ (Clin Res ed) (9 May 1987); 294 (6581): 1200–2
76 ‘Raymond Tallis’: Tallis R.
77 ‘Quesalid’: Levi-Strauss C. The sorcerer and his magic. In
78 ‘a classic study from 1965’: Park LC, Covi L. Nonblind placebo trial: an exploration of neurotic patients’ responses to placebo when its inert content is disclosed. Arch Gen Psych (April 1965); 12: 36–45
78 ‘Dr Stewart Wolf’: Wolf S. Effects of suggestion and conditioning on the action of chemical agents in human subjects; the pharmacology of placebos. J Clin Invest (January 1950); 29 (1): 100–9
79 ‘It’s been shown’: de la Fuente-Fernandez R, Ruth TJ, Sossi V, Schulzer M, Calne DB, Stoessl AJ. Expectation and dopamine release: mechanism of the placebo effect in Parkinson’s disease. Science (10 August 2001); 293 (5532): 1164–6
79 ‘Zubieta [2005]’: Zubieta JK, Bueller JA, Jackson LR, Scott DJ, Xu Y, Koeppe RA, Nichols TE, Stohler CS. Placebo effects mediated by endogenous opioid activity on mu-opioid receptors. J Neur (24 August 2005); 25 (34): 7754–62
80 ‘Researchers have measured’: Ader R, Cohen N. Behaviorally conditioned immunosuppression. Psychosom Med (July–August 1975); 37 (4): 333–40
80 ‘researchers gave healthy’: Goebel MU, Trebst AE, Steiner J, Xie YF, Exton MS, Frede S, Canbay AE, Michel MC, Heemann U, Schedlowski M. Behavioral conditioning of immunosuppression is possible in humans. FASEB J (December 2002); 16 (14): 1869–73
80 ‘Researchers have even’: Buske-Kirschbaum A, Kirschbaum C, Stierle H, Lehnert H, Hellhammer D. Conditioned increase of natural killer cell activity (NKCA) in humans. Psychosom Med (March–April 1992); 54 (2): 123–32
80 ‘From survey data’: Goodwin JS, Goodwin JM, Vogel AV. Knowledge and use of placebos by house officers and nurses. Ann Intern Med (July 1979); 91 (1): 106–10
80 ‘You are a placebo responder’:? Meaning, Medicine and the ‘Placebo Effect’ by Moerman DE, Cambridge University Press 2002, p.34, summarising secondary references to five further studies
81 ‘one of the most impressive’: Moerman DE, Harrington A. Making space for the placebo effect in pain medicine. Sem in Pain Med (March 2005); 3 (1 Spec issue): 2–6
81 ‘Another study from 2002’: Walsh BT, Seidman SN, Sysko R, Gould M. Placebo response in studies of major depression: variable, substantial, and growing. JAMA (10 April 2002); 287 (14): 1840–7
84 ‘one study found’: Ernst E, Schmidt K. Aspects of MMR. BMJ (2002); 325: 597
Chapter 6: The Nonsense du Jour
89 ‘It is impossible’: Harry G. Frankfurt,
105 ‘over $50 billion’:http://www.nutraingredients-usa. com/news/ng.asp?n=85087
105 ‘One was in Finland’: Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung and other cancers in male smokers. New Eng J Med (1994); 330: 1029–35
106 ‘Two groups of people’: Thornquist MD, Omenn GS, Goodman GE, Grizzle JE, Rosenstock L, Barnhart S,
