title: Clusters of disaster: superstition and the physician.
abstract: Throughout history the belief in magic has existed in all cultures. This paper outlines the effects that some of these beliefs have on medical conditions and focuses on the magical belief that "things happen in threes." Case histories are given in illustration, and the use of "counter magic" is described in the treatment of the anxieties evoked by the superstition.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D013483:Superstitions