But for the sake of argument, suppose that TT works only as placebo. The practitioner needs to deceive the patient as to the efficacy as well as the mechanism of the treatment. Deceit is never ethical, even with good intentions. Perhaps TT practitioners and others who argue this point believe that the ends justify the means. Fortunately for the rest of us, responsible medical practitioners believe otherwise.
Science requires much more.
But for the sake of argument, suppose that TT works only as placebo. Publication of this was a travesty. It was an insult to qualified, hard-working, grownup nurse researchers. A panel of 15 JAMA editors passed this on for publication. They were highly mindful that if this particular study didn't pass muster, the journal's reputation would suffer.