Some great valid points in the posts above
I have read Ben Goldacre's book, it's a great book.

RE tyrellsOwl's story - Aside from placebo, there is also a tendancy that people have which is to take a treatment whilst ill, and once the symptoms disappear to assume that the pill you have taken or the tiger penis you have strapped to your head has cured whatever it was.

The truth is often that illness just clears up by itself. From the way you describe it, it sounds like this may have happened. The placebo may have helped. However, if you know it's a sugar pill it will do nothing, unless you truly believe in the healing power of Snickers™.

The power of placebo is moderate against certain illnesses and conditions, but unfortunately homeopathy in general is a hard sell bullshit organisation which causes people to deprive themselves of effective treatment. It should be *banned*.

I like the point about doctors being able to prescribe placebo, however. This may be appropriate for some patients, but there are ethical concerns.
(Stiltzkin, Tue 26 Jul 2011, 16:25, 2 replies)

I hear Dr. Goldacre is writing a new book
about epdemiology. I'm really looking forward to it, and it's the best and most acceptable reason why he hasn't updated his website much lately.

I'd like to see homeopathy banned, or at least forced to carry a disclaimer, but whenever I express views like this I can't help but feel I've fallen in the trap of the right wing pundits who accuse the left of state interventionism, curtailing freedoms and nannying the public. Which is all true, I guess, but not necessarily a bad thing!
(leviticus no longer likes the cut of your gib on, Wed 27 Jul 2011, 12:27, closed)

Well, it did clear up by itself, because sugar pills sure didnt do it!

However, it was made better by the experience. Like I said, it was reocurring for years, very severely, until the homeopathy treatment, after which I would not even break out at all for months.
(tyrellsOwl, Wed 27 Jul 2011, 13:06, closed)