تمرین مکالمه

Power Of Placebos Not Limited To Belief

Suffering from pain or inflammation? If you lived in the late 18th century, you might have found relief with Perkins Tractors.

If you suffered from pain or inflammation in the late 18th century, what might you have found relief with? If you suffered from pain or inflammation in the late 18th century, you might have found relief with Perkins Tractors.

They were sold as medical devices made from special materials, but were actually just two simple metal rods made from steel and brass.

Were Perkins Tractors sold as sports devices made from special materials?

No, they were not sold as sports devices made from special materials, they were sold as medical devices made from special materials. What were they actually? They were actually two simple metal rods made from steel and brass.

Dr. Elisha Perkins, the inventor of Perkins Tractors, said that the rods healed people by removing unhealthy electromagnetic fluids.

Who invented Perkins Tractors? Dr. Elisha Perkins invented Perkins Tractors. How did he say the rods healed people? He said the rods healed people by removing unhealthy electromagnetic fluids.

The Connecticut Medical Society said his invention was a sham, but Perkins found believers around the country.

Who said his invention was a sham? The Connecticut Medical Society said his invention was a sham. Did Perkins find believers anyway? Yes, Perkins found believers around the country.

The first president of the United States, George Washington, even bought a set of the expensive rods.

Who was George Washington? George Washington was the first president of the United States. Did he buy a set of the expensive rods? Yes, he even bought a set of the expensive rods.

Perkins claimed to have cured 5,000 patients. His invention soon spread to Europe.

How many patients did Perkins claim to have cured? Perkins claimed to have cured 5,000 patients. And to where did his invention soon spread? His invention soon spread to Europe.

British doctor, John Haygarth, was skeptical.

Was John Haygarth excited? No, John Haygarth wasn’t excited. John Haygarth was skeptical. Where was he from? He was from Great Britain. And was he a lawyer? No, he wasn’t a lawyer. He was a doctor.

After Perkins’ death, he decided to put his invention to the test. He made copies of the rods made from wood and tested them with five people suffering from joint and muscle pain.

Did he make copies of the rods from plastic? No, he didn’t make copies of the rods from plastic. He made copies of the rods from wood. How many people did he test the rods with? He tested the rods with five people. And what were these people suffering from? They were suffering from joint and muscle pain.

Four out of five of them reported feeling better.

How many of them reported feeling better? Four out of five of them reported feeling better.

The next day, Haygarth tested the actual Perkins Tractors, and the results were the same.

After Haygarth tested the actual Perkins Tractors, were the results the same or different? After Haygarth tested the actual Perkins Tractors, the results were the same.

Haygarth then said, “Such is the wonderful force of the Imagination!” What did Haygarth say? Haygarth said, “Such is the wonderful force of the Imagination!”

Today placebos are taken for granted.

What are taken for granted today? Today placebos are taken for granted.

Researchers regularly test new medicines against placebos, not because placebos don’t work, but because they do.

Why do researchers regularly test new medicines against placebos?

Researchers regularly test new medicines against placebos because they work.

But how do they work? The placebo effect is sometimes defined as the effect of an inert pill.

How is the placebo effect sometimes defined? The placebo effect is sometimes defined as the effect of an inert pill.

But Harvard researcher Ted Kaptchuk says that’s an oxymoron.

Is Harvard researcher Ted Kaptchuk a moron? No, Harvard researcher Ted Kaptchuk is certainly not a moron. Harvard researcher Ted Kaptchuk says the effect of an inert pill is an oxymoron.

If something is inert, it has no effect.

If something is inert, does it have an effect? No, it doesn’t. If something is inert, it has no effect.

Kaptchuk points out that the placebo effect is at play with real medicines, too.

What is at play with real medicines? The placebo effect is at play with real medicines.

When patients are given morphine without their knowledge, it is 50 percent less effective.

What happens when patients are given morphine without their knowledge?

When patients are given morphine without their knowledge, it is 50 percent less effective. Have you ever been given morphine without your knowledge?

These patients need twice the amount of medicine to experience the same pain relief as someone who knows they are getting morphine.

How much medicine do these patients need to experience the same pain relief as someone who knows they are getting morphine? These patients need twice the amount of medicine to experience the same pain relief as someone who knows they are getting morphine.

Somehow, the experience of knowingly receiving the medicine makes it more effective.

Does the experience of knowingly receiving the medicine make it more or less effective? Somehow, the experience of knowingly receiving the medicine makes it more effective.

He doesn’t believe that this boils down to simply the power of belief.

Does he believe that this simply boils down to the power of belief? No, he doesn’t believe that this boils down to simply the power of belief.

He says that a better way to think of placebos is the water that “real” medicine swims in. This water includes rituals, symbols, and doctor-patient encounters.

Does this water that the real medicine swims in include rituals and symbols? Yes, this water includes rituals and symbols. What else does it include? It also includes doctor-patient encounters.

Kaptchuk has been researching placebos for decades.

Has Kaptchuk been researching placebos for centuries? No, Kaptchuk has not been researching placebos for centuries. Kaptchuk has been researching placebos for decades.

One thing that bothered him about placebos was tricking people.

Was helping people one thing that bothered him about placebos? No, helping people was not one thing that bothered him about placebos.

Tricking people was one thing that bothered him about placebos.

In 2009, he took 80 patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and gave half of them a placebo and half of them no treatment at all.

What did the 80 patients suffer from? The 80 patients suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Do you know someone who suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Unlike most placebo research, he used no deception. He made sure that the 40 placebo patients understood that they were not getting real medicine.

Did Kaptchuk use deception? No, he used no deception. What did he make sure of? He made sure that the 40 placebo patients understood that they were not getting real medicine.

Despite this, the placebo patients reported improved symptoms.

Despite this, what did the placebo patients report? Despite this, the placebo patients reported improved symptoms.

When asked why a placebo can work even when people know it’s a placebo, Kaptchuk isn’t sure.

Does Kaptchuk know why a placebo can work even when people know it’s a placebo? No, he doesn’t. Kaptchuk isn’t sure why placebo can work even when people know it’s a placebo.

But he does say, “this is deeper than, ‘I think I’m going to get better so I get better.’”

Does Kaptchuck believe this is deeper than, I think I’m going to get better so I get better? Yes, Kaptchuk believes this is deeper than I think I’m going to get better so I get better.