The Placebo Effect.

[Wotan]

He called one of his beans Douglas?? That's just plain stupid! How did he know it was male??

[NU_nutrition_TS]

No, it was Barbara who named her bean 'Douglas' - Tom insisted on subject A, B and control!

Barbara was meant to subject her bean to 20 seconds of loving encouragement per day while Tom was supposed to subject his bean to 20 seconds of scorn and derision.

Margo from next door storms into their living room during one of Barbara's 'bean love' sessions and harangues them about the awful music Tom is playing on his gramophone in the garden - Barbara cries out "Douglas! Oh, Douglas! He's only supposed to have love and you've just stunted his growth!". Margo asks "Who's Douglas?" to which Barbara cries "My bean, my bean!".