Robert Buckman, a medical oncologist, and George Lewith, a homoeopathi
c physician, met in Southampton while filming ''Magic or Medicine?,''
a television series of four programmes about what can and might be lea
rnt from the popularity of complementary medicine. In particular, the
series showed how the effect of the patient's and the doctor's beliefs
affected the relationship between them. The two doctors so enjoyed ta
lking with each other that they carried on their debate in letters to
each other over the next year. We think that their exchange merits a w
ider readership.