When I use a word ... Fictional drugs and the benefit to harm balance

被引:0
|
作者
Aronson, Jeffrey K. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Oxford, Ctr Evidence Based Med, Nuffield Dept Primary Care Hlth Sci, Oxford, England
来源
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL | 2024年 / 386卷
关键词
D O I
10.1136/bmj.q1814
中图分类号
R5 [内科学];
学科分类号
1002 ; 100201 ;
摘要
The benefit to harm balance of any therapeutic intervention depends on three factors: the possible benefits, the possible harms, and the possible harms of not intervening. We have words for the conditions that predispose to harms (hazards) and the chance that harms will occur (risks), but no corresponding words for the benefits, for which I suggest " stragard " and " abscisk. " Fictional drugs that feature in novels, typically of the dystopian variety, are used for many different purposes, including prevention and treatment of disease, as love potions, to mimic death, to relieve fears and anxiety and promote social harmony, as hallucinogens, to enhance sexual abilities and pleasure, and to prolong life. The benefit to harm balance varies according to indication. Utopian fictions, however, rarely mention fictional drugs, an exception being Aldous Huxley's ' s late novel Island. .
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页数:3
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