BMJ  2006;333 (23 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39071.417072.BE

Editor's Choice

US editor's choice

US Highlights

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

As usual, the Christmas double issue of the BMJ is seasonal, inspiring, humorous, entertaining, and bizarre. There is too much good stuff to describe it all, but here are some highlights.

Ever wonder how sword swallowers do it and how they escape injury? Brian Witcombe and Dan Meyer surveyed (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39027.676690.55) members of a sword swallowing society to find out. Turns out that relaxation and practice are the keys to successful sword swallowing, but injuries (usually minor) and "sword throat" are relatively common.

Donald Combs inspires with his predictions (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39049.453877.BE) of future technologies that will transform medicine. From nanotechnology that allows miniaturized cameras and sensors inside the body to robotics that create customized replacement joints, everything he mentions is being developed now.

Mark Bailey and Janaka de Silva discuss a Sri Lankan classification of diseases and the sanni masks that represent various conditions (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39055.445417.BE). The . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Mistletoe as a treatment for cancer

Edzard Ernst
BMJ 2006 333: 1282-1283. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Sword swallowing and its side effects

Brian Witcombe and Dan Meyer
BMJ 2006 333: 1285-1287. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Subcutaneous inflammation mimicking metastatic malignancy induced by injection of mistletoe extract

A I Finall, S A McIntosh, and W D Thompson
BMJ 2006 333: 1293-1294. [Full Text] [PDF]

Maggie's Centres

Edwin Heathcote
BMJ 2006 333: 1304-1305. [Full Text] [PDF]

Startling technologies promise to transform medicine

C Donald Combs
BMJ 2006 333: 1308-1311. [Full Text] [PDF]

Sri Lankan sanni masks: an ancient classification of disease

Mark S Bailey and H Janaka de Silva
BMJ 2006 333: 1327-1328. [Full Text] [PDF]

Online poll

Find out more here>> and here>>