A Writer’s Attic

This chapter presents a miscellany of facts about writing: America’s first and oldest medical journal; the most remarkable feat of medical writing in more or less modern times; and the change in focus in medical journals. The chapter describes “authorisms,” neosyndromes, and classic gaffes in the medical literature. There is advice about what to think about when invited to edit a clinical reference book. There are also tales of retracted scientific articles and fake medical journals, and advice for aspiring medical writers, including books and websites to consult.