I wonder how far you can go with this. I mean, there is a huge scale from homeopathy ("I know this does not work, but some believe in it"), things labeled placebo and administered by a doctor, smarties in a pill bottle and buying someone a candy bar and saying "here, that will make you feel better".

I'm pretty sure I know a few cases of self-administered placebos. When you are sick everyone has the wondercure, be it healthy food, some natural bee-wax-antibiotic, homepathy, "it's all just psychosomatic"/"there is allways a deeper reason for a sickness" or what not.

They probably all just need someone to bring camilla tea and a wet cloth for on the forehead :)