MSGID: 1:153/716.0 eab7d420   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 5ea17fc6   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Anton!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:   
      
   AH>  I'm reminded here of Jacqueline Susann's novel VALLEY   
   AH>  OF THE DOLLS, where women in particular were given pills   
   AH>  which may have made them feel better temporarily but   
   AH>  which did not address the underlying problem(s).   
      
   AS>  [A learner's question:]   
   AS>  I never became friendly with this consturction: may have   
   AS>  made. Does it mean "it is possible that they made"? If so,   
   AS>  is it correct to use the present tense to describe events   
   AS>  in a novel introduced in the past tense (were given)?   
      
      
              It is possible [that] they made the users feel better   
   temporarily... yes.  Either way the events of the story are in the past tense,   
   and whatever we write in the preamble has far more to do with our own   
   reasoning processes.  One of the things which may be confusing you here is an   
   idiomatic use of "it".  ;-)   
      
      
      
   AH>  Recently I've heard that some folks have run afoul of the   
   AH>  laws re practising medicine without a licence in advertisements   
   AH>  for vitamin & mineral supplements, claiming they'll prevent   
   AH>  or even cure COVID-19.   
      
   AS>  Yeah, perfidious peddlers of lucrative lies.   
      
      
              Nice alliteration... [chuckle].   
      
      
      
   AH>  the results can't be guaranteed... and there is a lot of   
   AH>  evidence suggesting that a person's spiritual beliefs &/or   
   AH>  relationships with other people may help too.   
      
   AS>  Scientific evidence? I wonder how and what they found out.   
      
      
              While I don't know of any formal scientific studies on the topic   
   I'd highly recommend Bernie Siegel's book LOVE, MEDICINE & MIRACLES.  The   
   author is an oncologist who noticed that some of his patients appeared to be   
   doing better than expected, and made it his business to figure out why.  Over   
   the years I've noticed similar comments from various other front line workers   
   as well....  :-)   
      
      
      
   AH>  When I read his biography I see why this author may have   
   AH>  found neither of the latter met his needs....  :-Q   
      
   AS>  Bierice? Because he was so bitter?   
      
      
              Apparently he had some doubts about religion... he divorced his wife   
   ... then she & two of his children predeceased him, one by suicide.  Perhaps   
   he started out with a healthy skepticism which turned to bitterness later....    
   :-/   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)   
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