A
drug used in the 18th, 19th and early 20th
Centuries by both the Medical and Veterinary Medical Professions
The Placebo
It’s not exactly the
placebo effect, but as in Voltaire’s summary:
“The art of medicine
consists of amusing the patient while nature does the healing.”
No offense or diminishing our healing
efforts and procedures, but it really is nature that does the healing in both
our professions.
This drug in tablet form, was used in human
medicine and later by the veterinarian in treating dogs in the early 20th
Century. As small animal practice, as we
know it today didn’t develop till the
early 1900s.
Norwich
Pharmagal Company
The Norwich Pharmaceutical Company was established in Norwich,
New York, in 1887. In 1893, Norwich
introduced Unguentine to the medical profession as the first antiseptic surgical
dressing. The company’s mixture called
Cholera Infantum, later renamed Pepto-Bismol, appeared for the first time
in 1901. Its principal use was for
infants with severe diarrhea. In 1907,
Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) tablets were added to the company’s product line.
It is a forgotten drug? Not necessary:
There is an international Society for
Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) which meets regularly. The last
conference was in Leiden, Netherlands July 7-9, 2019. There have been other
meetings on placebo effect dating back to 2007 and earlier.
Title of one was: Biomedical, Clinical and
Philosophical Aspects of the Placebo, held in Switzerland
Just click on this Placebo conference:
Then, the New York Times Magazine
- November 2, 2018 issue, had featured the following article:
What if the Placebo Effect Isn’t a Trick?
New research is zeroing in
on a
biochemical basis for the placebo effect — possibly openingPandora’s box for Western medicine.
biochemical basis for the placebo effect — possibly openingPandora’s box for Western medicine.
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