Placebo (from the Latin «placebo» - on weight) is called a harmless substance that is used under the guise of medicine. This may be chalk, powdered lactose, generally water and so on. Sometimes capsules or tablets with placebo are called "dummy"). A placebo effect - it changes (physical and psychological) in the human condition that occurred solely through faith in the beneficence of treatment.
The ability of such "blanks" to influence the condition of the patient was seen by physicians in the 18th century. Particularly active harmless powders and miksturki used to treat people too worried-prone invent yourself ill. Treatment of non-existent non-existent disease medications are often quite effective. And sometimes managed to save people from serious diseases and, a method of treatment which was unknown.
The placebo effect does not require any special suggestion. The patient simply talk about what action "therapeutic drug" should have on it, and as a result of the brain begins to independently produce substances that alter the human condition in the specified direction. And the power of change depends only on the suggestibility of the patient. The placebo effect is the stronger, the more the patient is counting on a miracle cure and believes in treating physician.
The placebo effect and is still used in medicine (particularly in psychiatry - the human brain is very good at correct their own work) and pharmacology. In particular, when testing new drugs: one control group received the medication, and the other - "dummy" that look exactly the same way (the appearance of the drug is also able to influence the "suggestion force"). As a result, the effectiveness of the drug is assessed by the extent to changes in the state of people taking real medicine differ from that demonstrates "the placebo group."
Interestingly, the placebo effect may be not only positive but also negative. Some people taking a "dummy" exhibit at "contra" - for example, allergies, stomach pain, drowsiness, and so on. And this is not surprising: it is known that self-hypnosis can bring a man to the death. Doctors have experimented by giving criminals sentenced to death to drink "poison" or imitating opening veins, and disciplined people died. In this case, the autopsy showed that in the first case really was available for features characteristic of death from intoxication, and the second - from loss of blood.