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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Introduction: Using Placebo Research to Explore Belief and Healing in Late Antiquity
Nils Hallvard Korsvollsubject
Literaturebusiness.industrymedia_common.quotation_subjectPlaceboMagic (paranormal)03 medical and health sciencesLate Antiquity0302 clinical medicine030212 general & internal medicineClassicsPsychologybusiness030217 neurology & neurosurgerymedia_commondescription
Abstract This special issue explores belief and healing in Late Antiquity, through insight and terminology developed in modern placebo research. My introduction outlines the history of placebo research and its use in historical studies of medicine and healing. It has helped historians pose new questions to their sources and discuss them in light of modern medical research. Most studies analyse various descriptions or records of symptoms or diagnoses, but some researchers also extend their work to include social or anthropological studies of healing. Summarizing insights from such efforts in medical research and the history of medicine, I propose a selection of questions and perspectives from research on the placebo effect to aid and guide the subsequent articles in their examination of their respective sets of sources, as well as facilitate discussion and comparison across our different materials, and often also differing disciplines.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-06-01 | Trends in Classics |