You are the Placebo, Chapter 2.

A Brief History of the Placebo.
The idea that we can alter physical reality through thought, belief, and expectation alone certainly didn't start in recent history. The Christian bible is filled with stories of miraculous healings. Even in modern times, people regularly flock to places such as Lourdes in France. Faith healing is certainly not confined to the Christian tradition. Healings have been attributed to Hindi gurus, French and English royalties, and many others.
What causes such miraculous events? Was it the process, the person, the place?
Chapter 2 is an introduction to the answers to these questions.