Most of us end up with a handful of people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives. I’ve been lucky […]
Columnists
Desmond O’Neill: Combatting rigidity in medicine
High quality films for children have a special place in our cultural landscape, an appeal which even embraces the medical humanities. To reach beyond children to the adults in their […]
Richard Smith: Rediscovering a BMJ gem
After a class I taught recently one of the students came up to me and said, “My mother was fond of you. Her name was Clare Vaughan.” I remembered. I […]
James Raftery: Should the NHS use the new meningitis B vaccine?
The argument over whether the NHS should fund Bexsero, the new meningitis B vaccine from Novartis, raises a global issue about the price of the new vaccine, as well as […]
William Cayley: Medicine—too fast, too slow, or just right?
“Slow Medicine” is getting more and more attention. The authors of several recent books have got readers thinking more and more about taking time, truly listening to the patient, focusing […]
Simon Chapman: Why is Big Tobacco investing in e-cigarettes?
Discussion about e-cigarettes on social media, the blogosphere, and vaping chatrooms is dominated by impassioned accounts from former, now vaping, smokers wanting to encourage smokers to do what they have […]
Neal Maskrey: Where is the evidence for evidence based medicine?
The internet was 25 years old last week. When Tim Berners-Lee was asked what has surprised him most about the internet’s use he replied “kittens.” With respect, I disagree. The […]
Tracey Koehlmoos: You’ve come a long way, baby. Really?
March is Women’s History Month in the US, UK, and Australia. 8 March was International Women’s Day everywhere. There are more women prime ministers, presidents, CEOs, and leaders than ever […]
Simon Chapman: Will vapers really “quit and (not) die?”
The public health appeal of vaping that emboldens its advocates to sanctimoniously taunt anyone unconvinced by their evangelism as callous “quit or die” moralists is that e-cigarettes are spectacularly promising […]
Simon Chapman on e-cigarettes: the best and the worst case scenarios for public health
Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems—ENDS) is showing exponential increase in some nations. Their regular use remains marginal in Australia, where the sale of nicotine liquid […]