单选题 A placebo is a chemically inert substance prescribed more for the mental relief of a patient than for its effect on the patient"s physical disorder. It is prescribed in the hope of instilling in the patient a positive attitude toward prospects for his or her recovery. In some cases, the placebo actually produces improvement in the patient"s condition. In discussing the use and effect of placebos, a well-known medical researcher recently paid physicians the somewhat offbeat compliment of saying that physicians were the ultimate placebo.
By comparing a physician to a placebo, the researcher sought to imply that