Placebo
Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2002 10:25 pm
> ________________________________________________________________________
Hello to everyone!
Dear Dave,
this email refers to
You should have continued reading there is not only
§ 1
"The physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to health,
to cure, as it is termed."
but there is Apphorism 2 as well.
§ 2
"The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of
the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole
extent, in the
shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible
principles."
The "most harmless way" in my opinion includes to avoid deceit, as far
as it is managable wihout endangering the highest priciple, as it is
stated in § 1.
In his Message 7
Paul mentioned some reasons why one might use a placebo, and why one
might deceive a patient to attain the higher goal - his health. That's
fair discussion.
I think the question whether and under which circumstances a placebo
might be administered is worthwhile discussing for it is important to
know what one is doing, what the ethical implications are. If one has
got to make a moral or an ethical decision, it is important to think
about it conscientiuosly. So I think discussing about such a topic is so
important. It not so much the question whether you decide in favour or
against, it's the process of how you come to the decision, how you can
justify it - "according to my ability and judgement" as it is said in
the Hippocratic oath.
Thus I appreciated the answers of Sue, Joy, Paul and Dr Sahni, and I
enjoyed reading them.
Please, don't shout - that's definitely not professional.
Please excuse, but I can't help finding your statement somewhat
arrogant. From my point of view, a homoeopath has to consider the client
to be on
a par with him. If one looks down on his patients, how can one be the
"unprejudiced
observer" (§ 6) Hahnemann asks for?
Who on earth has got the whole truth of homoeopathy?
Why are so emotionally charged?
Nobody has renounced your authority, neither has one imposed the quest
for self-denial upon you.
"aude sapere" is the subheading of Samuel Hahnemann's Organon.
Hahnemann is quoting here Immanuel Kant, the leading philosopher of
German Enlightenment.
In his essay "Was ist Aufklärung?" ("What is Enlightenment?") Kant
demands:
"Sapere aude! Habe Mut dich deines eigenen Verstandes zu bedienen! ist
also der Wahlspruch der Aufklärung." ("Have the courage to use your own
mind! is thus the motto of Enlightenment.")
Thus Kant's idea of enlightenment must have been hold dear by Hahnemann.
"Aufklärung ist der Ausgang des Menschen aus seiner eigen Unmündigkeit."
("Enlightenment is man's escape from his self-induced intellectual
dependency.")
Thus I think it is important to help the patient to understand by
informing him about his illness, explaining him the basic principles of
homeopathy and telling him which remedy prescribed. The patient has got
the chance
to become what you call 'a professional client', who will eagerly follow
clear instructions. They will not follow because of intellectual
dependency, but because they can use their own mind to understand the
principle of homoeopathy to certain degree.
There is.
Homoeopathy treatment is a process of continuous learning for both the
homoeopath as well as for the patient.
Sincerely,
Claudia
Hello to everyone!
Dear Dave,
this email refers to
You should have continued reading there is not only
§ 1
"The physician's high and only mission is to restore the sick to health,
to cure, as it is termed."
but there is Apphorism 2 as well.
§ 2
"The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of
the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole
extent, in the
shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible
principles."
The "most harmless way" in my opinion includes to avoid deceit, as far
as it is managable wihout endangering the highest priciple, as it is
stated in § 1.
In his Message 7
Paul mentioned some reasons why one might use a placebo, and why one
might deceive a patient to attain the higher goal - his health. That's
fair discussion.
I think the question whether and under which circumstances a placebo
might be administered is worthwhile discussing for it is important to
know what one is doing, what the ethical implications are. If one has
got to make a moral or an ethical decision, it is important to think
about it conscientiuosly. So I think discussing about such a topic is so
important. It not so much the question whether you decide in favour or
against, it's the process of how you come to the decision, how you can
justify it - "according to my ability and judgement" as it is said in
the Hippocratic oath.
Thus I appreciated the answers of Sue, Joy, Paul and Dr Sahni, and I
enjoyed reading them.
Please, don't shout - that's definitely not professional.
Please excuse, but I can't help finding your statement somewhat
arrogant. From my point of view, a homoeopath has to consider the client
to be on
a par with him. If one looks down on his patients, how can one be the
"unprejudiced
observer" (§ 6) Hahnemann asks for?
Who on earth has got the whole truth of homoeopathy?
Why are so emotionally charged?
Nobody has renounced your authority, neither has one imposed the quest
for self-denial upon you.
"aude sapere" is the subheading of Samuel Hahnemann's Organon.
Hahnemann is quoting here Immanuel Kant, the leading philosopher of
German Enlightenment.
In his essay "Was ist Aufklärung?" ("What is Enlightenment?") Kant
demands:
"Sapere aude! Habe Mut dich deines eigenen Verstandes zu bedienen! ist
also der Wahlspruch der Aufklärung." ("Have the courage to use your own
mind! is thus the motto of Enlightenment.")
Thus Kant's idea of enlightenment must have been hold dear by Hahnemann.
"Aufklärung ist der Ausgang des Menschen aus seiner eigen Unmündigkeit."
("Enlightenment is man's escape from his self-induced intellectual
dependency.")
Thus I think it is important to help the patient to understand by
informing him about his illness, explaining him the basic principles of
homeopathy and telling him which remedy prescribed. The patient has got
the chance
to become what you call 'a professional client', who will eagerly follow
clear instructions. They will not follow because of intellectual
dependency, but because they can use their own mind to understand the
principle of homoeopathy to certain degree.
There is.
Homoeopathy treatment is a process of continuous learning for both the
homoeopath as well as for the patient.
Sincerely,
Claudia