When I use a word: Historian

doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7323.1243

BMJ 2001;323:1243 ( 24 November )

Filler

When I use a word

Historian

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

Patients are sometimes referred to as "bad historians." But who is the historian? "Historian" refers to the one taking andinterpreting history, not the subject (whether a person or a topic).If a history is contradictory, lacking evidence, or irrelevantthis could well represent part of the intrinsic problem ratherthan be a deliberate attempt to mislead. If you attribute blameto the historian you rightly (albeit inadvertently) blameyourself.

Helen Lucas, general practitioner.

Lavender Hill Group Practice, London

We welcome articles up to 600 words on topics such as A memorable patient, A paper that changed my practice, My most unfortunatemistake, or any other piece conveying instruction, pathos, orhumour. If possible the article should be supplied on a disk.Permission is needed from the patient or a relative if an identifiablepatient is referred to. We also welcome contributions for "Endpieces,"consisting of quotations of up to 80 words (but most are considerablyshorter) from any source, ancient or modern, which have appealedto thereader.