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Colorful Journalism
Letter to the Editor Colorful Journalism
The charming (but serious) suggestion by Dr. Robert D. Reinecke, that the journal OPHTHALMOLOGY should be nicknamed "The Blue Journal"l because using the "pretentious" title OPHTHALMOLOGY cau~s Dr. Reinecke "discomfort" that has "bordered on dIstress" during grand rounds or "any lecture," may need a lighthearted reply. One can imagine this sequence: Dr. Reinecke: This patient has the classic signs described in the current issue of "The Blue Journal." Resident: I don't understand. Are you referring to the journal CORNEA? Dr. Reinecke: You missed the mark. I refer to CORNEA as "The Bright Blue Journal." Resident: Then perhaps you're citing EXPERIMENTAL EYE RESEARCH. Dr. Reinecke: Hardly. I call it "The Gray-Blue Journal. " Resident: Then, maybe you meant CLINICAL NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY. Dr. Reinecke: No, that's best referred to as "The Teal Blue Journal." Resident: You're taxing my cones. Were you referring to the JAPANESE JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY? Dr. Reinecke: Wrong again-that obviously is "The Light Blue Journal." Resident: One more try: you were citing GRAEFE'S ARCHIVE FOR OPHTHALMOLOGY. Dr. Reinecke: You're getting tired-that's "The TwoTone Blue Journal." Resident: I give up. There are others I could try, but just what is the true "Blue Journal"?
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Dr. Reinecke: You should have known-it's the journal with the pretentious title OPHTHALMOLOGY. Resident: Oh, I see. How humbling! But, sir, shouldn't we refer to OPHTHALMOLOGY as "The Rather Unique Medium Blue Journal"-or perhaps "The Plus or Minus Four Hundred and Seventy-Five Nanometers Blue Journal"?* Dr. Reinecke: I'm sorry I ever mentioned it! After all, "what's in a name?,,2 I should have known that the medical publishing field, like Joseph, wears "a coat of many colours.,,3 Let's just call a spade a spade, and refer to OPHTHALMOLOGY as . .uh ... as. . .OPHTHALMOLOGY.
DA VID ANDREWS, MS % Friedenwald Library The Wilmer Institute The Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, Maryland References 1. Reinecke, Robert D: Letter to the Editor: The Blue Journal. Ophthalmology: The Journal of the Arnerican Academy of Ophthalrnology_ 90(3):300 (March) 1983. 2. Shakespeare, William: An Excellent Conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet, Act II, scene 1, line 43_ 3. Holy Bible: The Old Testament: Genesis XXXVII:3, King James version.
• The 475 nm is a plus-minus approximation provided after brief visual inspection of the cover of Ophthalmology by Terry Benzschawel of the Laboratory of Physiological OptiCS of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Md., on May 20, 1983.
The charming (but serious) suggestion by Dr. Robert D. Reinecke, that the journal OPHTHALMOLOGY should be nicknamed "The Blue Journal"l because using the "pretentious" title OPHTHALMOLOGY cau~s Dr. Reinecke "discomfort" that has "bordered on dIstress" during grand rounds or "any lecture," may need a lighthearted reply. One can imagine this sequence: Dr. Reinecke: This patient has the classic signs described in the current issue of "The Blue Journal." Resident: I don't understand. Are you referring to the journal CORNEA? Dr. Reinecke: You missed the mark. I refer to CORNEA as "The Bright Blue Journal." Resident: Then perhaps you're citing EXPERIMENTAL EYE RESEARCH. Dr. Reinecke: Hardly. I call it "The Gray-Blue Journal. " Resident: Then, maybe you meant CLINICAL NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY. Dr. Reinecke: No, that's best referred to as "The Teal Blue Journal." Resident: You're taxing my cones. Were you referring to the JAPANESE JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY? Dr. Reinecke: Wrong again-that obviously is "The Light Blue Journal." Resident: One more try: you were citing GRAEFE'S ARCHIVE FOR OPHTHALMOLOGY. Dr. Reinecke: You're getting tired-that's "The TwoTone Blue Journal." Resident: I give up. There are others I could try, but just what is the true "Blue Journal"?
740
Dr. Reinecke: You should have known-it's the journal with the pretentious title OPHTHALMOLOGY. Resident: Oh, I see. How humbling! But, sir, shouldn't we refer to OPHTHALMOLOGY as "The Rather Unique Medium Blue Journal"-or perhaps "The Plus or Minus Four Hundred and Seventy-Five Nanometers Blue Journal"?* Dr. Reinecke: I'm sorry I ever mentioned it! After all, "what's in a name?,,2 I should have known that the medical publishing field, like Joseph, wears "a coat of many colours.,,3 Let's just call a spade a spade, and refer to OPHTHALMOLOGY as . .uh ... as. . .OPHTHALMOLOGY.
DA VID ANDREWS, MS % Friedenwald Library The Wilmer Institute The Johns Hopkins Hospital Baltimore, Maryland References 1. Reinecke, Robert D: Letter to the Editor: The Blue Journal. Ophthalmology: The Journal of the Arnerican Academy of Ophthalrnology_ 90(3):300 (March) 1983. 2. Shakespeare, William: An Excellent Conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet, Act II, scene 1, line 43_ 3. Holy Bible: The Old Testament: Genesis XXXVII:3, King James version.
• The 475 nm is a plus-minus approximation provided after brief visual inspection of the cover of Ophthalmology by Terry Benzschawel of the Laboratory of Physiological OptiCS of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Md., on May 20, 1983.