Shapiro, Arthur

Shapiro, Arthur K, A Contribution to a History of the Placebo Effect , Behavioral Science 5, no. 109-35 (i960)... 

Because of the power of the placebo effect, almost anything that is believed in seems to work for some types of medical problems. That is why the late Arthur K. Shapiro described the history of medicine as largely the history of the placebo effect.4 It is also why clinical experience alone cannot tell us whether a particular physical substance is an effective treatment. Placebo-controlled trials are required to demonstrate drug efficacy before drugs are approved for marketing. 

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