By on June 22, 2011 - 8:59am

I am currently processing the papers of Dr. Harry Gold, a former New York Hospital (now NewYork-Presbyterian) cardiologist and Cornell University Medical College (now Weill Cornell Medical College) faculty member. As a pioneer in the use of digitalis glycosides for the treatment of cardiac failure, Dr. Gold conducted numerous studies while working out of cardiac clinics at New York Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, and the Hospital for Joint Diseases. While doing so, Dr. Gold promoted the use of placebos and the method of the double-blind study, an experiment in which neither the researchers nor the patients know who makes up the control group and who the experimental group. Only after the research has been collected are the identities of each group revealed.
While arranging Dr. Gold's papers today, I came across a copy of a cartoon depicting the process of a double-blind experiment. Goes to show there's a cartoon for almost anything, and a place for it right here in the Medical Center Archives!
Blog Category: Treasure of the Week