From Susan Eckenwalder, Toronto, Canada
Since the effects of an illness are easily compounded by the psychosomatic pain of thinking it is worse than it actually is, there may be a reasonable explanation for finding that a placebo works even if you know you are taking it. Maybe just knowing a doctor thinks you are well enough to take a placebo rather than “real medicine” is enough to convince you that you are indeed better than you thought, thus reducing your stress-induced pain(5 April, p 20).
