science and the Bible by Bolton Davidheiser, Chairman, Science Division, Biola College T^C cc U cckc TVfacA Hot THecUctte A s u b s t a n c e which has no medici nal value in treating any parti
New , full-color filmstrip for free showing in your Sunday School . . . now availab le from Scripture Press Shows you how to make the jet- speed 60 minutes of the Sunday School hour really count for eternity, with more Bible taught . . . more lives changed! * Encourages faithfulness in shap ing precious lives * Stimulates thoughtful discussion —ideal for teachers' meetings * Presents the TOTAL-HOUR Teach ing Plan that results in total-hour learning
more than half benefited when the placebo was given as an injection. Be sides relief from pain and stiffness, it was found that there was also a re duction in the swelling among most of the patients who responded to the placebo. This rather surprising influence of mind over matter may to a certain ex tent explain results obtained by prac titioners of the healing cults. How ever, it must be kept in mind that a placebo is not a substitute for real medication. Someone has remarked that one of the healing cults is gain ing ground •—- mostly in the cemetery. Another factor in which our knowl edge is limited and which needs to be considered in appraising claims of the cults is the influence of Satanic power in mimicking the acts of God. Skeptics have postulated that Chris tian prayer is merely a subjective ex perience, not unlike taking a placebo. The author of the article from which most of the cases presented here are taken sums up by saying that people who are benefited by placebos are characterized as self centered, emo tionally labile, habitual consumers of aspirin, and regular churchgoers. He gives no statistics to support this judg ment. On the other hand, another author, who has done work on the effects of placebos among clinical pa tients and volunteer graduate students, contradicts this opinion. He presents considerable evidence to show that there is no significant difference in the effect of placebos due to psychological characteristics of the people who are the subjects, nor to the scientific back ground or understanding of these peo ple. The life of George Muller is just one outstanding example, among many, which would need to be explained away by the skeptic who thinks prayer is a subjective experience. From per sonal experience, from the experiences of others, and by the authority of Scripture, we know that prayer is not a subjective, placebo-like experience. “ The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
cular ailment is called a placebo. This word has had a varied history in the English language for nearly a thou sand years and is from the Latin meaning, “ I shall please.” A placebo may be prescribed to please a patient who thinks he needs medication when he really does not, or it may be given to comfort a patient who is beyond the help of medication. The most important use of placebos in modem medicine is to test, by com parison, the effectiveness of medica tion which is believed to have real value. The placebo is prepared so as to be indistinguishable from the drug being tested, and those who adminis ter the medications do not know which patients are receiving the placebo and which the active medicine. In this way an impartial survey is made of the relative merits of the active drug and the inert placebo. In one study it was found that a placebo did just as well as a supposed ly active drug in relieving patients who suffered from anxiety, restless ness, and irritability. This may not seem too surprising, since the nature of the disorder was largely mental. It is more surprising to find that placebos can be effective in relieving real pain. Among 39 patients suffering the pain of angina pectoris, as many were relieved by a placebo as by a drug which was considered to be a superior agent in the treatment of this condition. It has been found rather consistently that 30% or more of the patients given a placebo obtain satis factory relief from pain following major surgery. Various studies have confirmed the observation that the greater the degree of pain, the more effective the placebo is in bringing re lief. One half of the patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis were bene fited by a placebo— 12% of them for longer than six months. Of the pa tients who did not respond to the placebo given in the form of tablets,
W rite NOW for this FREE 30-minute filmstrip. Indicate first and second choice of showing dates. No obliga tion. Film comes complete with 12-inch record and help ful discussion guides. See your local Christian bookstore, or write Scripture Dept. KBA-41
'SCRIPTURE PRESS ■K Reach Ch ildren ! F HEART T TROUBLE
6 pages — 3 colors 50 for $1.00 postpaid 1000 for $17.50 postpaid C H U R C H P R E S S Box 551 Glendale, Californie
L — a tra ct fo r i h BOYS AND J G IR L S ^ fl
President Dr. John Dunkin
LOS ANGELES BAPTIST T H E O L O G I C A L S E M I N A R Y
THREE YEAR BACHELOR OF DIVINITY Theology Missions Jewish Missions FOUR YEAR BACHELOR OF ARTS English Philosophy History Christian Ed. Greek Bible Request New Catalog from . . . LOS ANGELES BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 560 So. St. Louis, Los Angeles 33, California HO. 9-5883 HO. 9-5883
tf â a b u i o n ORIENTAL RUG<7 CLEANERS Largest in the West 545 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 11742 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, Calif. POplar 6-2479
Tune in Monday, Wednesday, Friday to music and inspiration from Biola, an evening hour of
BIOLA
KGO 810 kilocycles
blessing.
9:00 P.M.
31
APRIL, 1961
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online