When was the first modern description of the placebo effect in medicine and psychology published?

The placebo effect entered modern medical debate after Henry Beecher’s influential 1955 paper, which argued that placebos could produce measurable improvements in some patients. While the concept existed earlier, Beecher helped popularize it in postwar research and clinical trials. The finding pushed scientists to use control groups more carefully. Today, placebo responses are studied in pain, depression, and many other conditions.