PLACEBO Meaning and
Definition
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A placebo is a substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect, often used in medical research or clinical practice as a control or comparison to assess the effectiveness of a treatment or intervention. The term also refers to the psychological effect that occurs when a person receives a placebo treatment and experiences a perceived improvement in their symptoms due to their belief in the treatment's efficacy.
In medical studies, a placebo is typically an inert substance, such as a sugar pill or saline solution, given to participants in the control group, while the experimental group receives the actual treatment. This comparison allows researchers to evaluate the true effects of the treatment by isolating and measuring the additional impact attributed solely to the active components of the intervention. The placebo effect occurs when individuals mistakenly perceive improvements in their condition, even though they have received the inactive substance. This response could arise from psychological factors, such as the patient's expectation of improvement or the natural healing process of the body.
The use of placebos allows scientists to differentiate between the effects of a treatment's active ingredients and the placebo effect, therefore ensuring accurate assessment of efficacy. However, the ethical implications of administering placebos in clinical practice, particularly when effective treatments are available, require careful consideration to prioritize patient well-being.
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An indifferent substance, in the form of a medicine, given for the moral or suggestive effect.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
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A prescription given by a physician to please rather than to benefit the patient; in the R. Cath. Ch., the vesper hymn for the dead.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
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Etymology of PLACEBO
The word "placebo" is derived from Latin. It comes from the first person singular present subjunctive of the Latin verb "placere", which means "to please". In the religious context of the Roman Catholic Latin liturgy, the phrase "placebo Domino in regione vivorum" was used, meaning "I shall please the Lord in the land of the living". In this context, "placebo" referred to the verse from the Latin Vulgate translation of Psalm 116:9. Over time, "placebo" came to be associated with a rite or a prayer said for the dead, and later evolved to describe something which is given to please, console, or satisfy without having any real effect. In the medical context, "placebo" refers to an inactive substance or treatment given to a patient as a control in a clinical trial.
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