{"title":"Sir Nicholas Gilbourne's (magical) cross-over trial of 1631.","authors":"Max Cooper, Sarah Cooper","doi":"10.1177/09677720241304738","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We describe a basic 'cross-over' trial undertaken by Sir Nicholas Gilbourne of Kent, England, in or before 1631. This was used to test the effectiveness of 'weapon salve', an ointment claimed to cure 'sympathetically' (i.e. remotely) by application to the weapon that inflicted an injury. Gilbourne reports very basic outcomes but these represent key stages of a modern cross-over trial: no treatment, treatment, no treatment, treatment. We discuss the value of such historical vignettes - even a magical one - for medical students in two respects: understanding research methodology and learning about consultation strategies. Gilbourne's conclusion is clearly fanciful but the basic principles behind his experiment are sound. Historical examples like this can inspire medical students to think critically about research methods and treatment strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16217,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Biography","volume":" ","pages":"9677720241304738"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Medical Biography","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09677720241304738","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
摘要
我们描述了英国肯特郡的尼古拉斯-吉尔本爵士(Sir Nicholas Gilbourne)在 1631 年或之前进行的一项基本 "交叉 "试验。该试验用于测试 "武器药膏 "的疗效,这种药膏声称可以通过涂抹在造成伤害的武器上进行 "交感"(即远程)治疗。吉尔本报告了非常基本的结果,但这些结果代表了现代交叉试验的关键阶段:不治疗、治疗、不治疗、治疗。我们从两个方面讨论了这种历史小故事(即使是神奇的故事)对医学生的价值:了解研究方法和学习咨询策略。吉尔本的结论显然是虚构的,但他实验背后的基本原理是正确的。这样的历史案例可以启发医学生对研究方法和治疗策略进行批判性思考。
Sir Nicholas Gilbourne's (magical) cross-over trial of 1631.
We describe a basic 'cross-over' trial undertaken by Sir Nicholas Gilbourne of Kent, England, in or before 1631. This was used to test the effectiveness of 'weapon salve', an ointment claimed to cure 'sympathetically' (i.e. remotely) by application to the weapon that inflicted an injury. Gilbourne reports very basic outcomes but these represent key stages of a modern cross-over trial: no treatment, treatment, no treatment, treatment. We discuss the value of such historical vignettes - even a magical one - for medical students in two respects: understanding research methodology and learning about consultation strategies. Gilbourne's conclusion is clearly fanciful but the basic principles behind his experiment are sound. Historical examples like this can inspire medical students to think critically about research methods and treatment strategies.
期刊介绍:
This international quarterly publication focuses on the lives of people in or associated with medicine, those considered legendary as well as the less well known. The journal includes much original research about figures from history and their afflictions, thus providing an interesting, fresh and new perspective which can lead to greater understanding of each subject. Journal of Medical Biography is a fascinating and compelling read, providing an insight into the origins of modern medicine and the characters and personalities that made it what it is today.