painkiller Science

Placebo might be the best drug

By
30 December 2011

75 per cent of antidepressants’ activity is due to a placebo effect. So, how long can placebo be considered a false treatment?

Double effect - a loophole for physician-assisted suicide?

By
28 December 2011

When is it permissible for a doctor to give a lethal dose of painkillers to a patient? Greg Jones explores the complexities of double effect.

Paracetamol mystery solved

By
6 December 2011

Despite years of worldwide and widespread use, it is only now that researchers have identified how paracetamol works inside the body.

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