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Sirs: Although I agree with Mr. Dunea's assessment of Mr. Clinton's
present status (BMJ1998;317:1165), I wonder if his use of the word
"petard" was purposeful, or as I suspect, a malapropism. In 1967, Strand
et al. (N Engl J Med, Jul 13; 277(2):89-91) coined the term lycoperdonosis
to describe a form of hypersensitivity pneumonia due to inhalation of the
woodland puffball(lycopodium) to treat nosebleeds; the roundish spore,
once popular in American apothocaries, is produced by a club moss, and was
once believed to be fossilized remains of a wolf's flatus. Strand and his
co-authors then explored the original uses for "mortar" (a rudimentary
cannon) and "petard", a very large mortar. However, this well known
Shakespearian phrase has always meant to refer to a tremendous expulsion,
a mega-flatus, sufficiently powerful to have one leave his feet. Whether
Mr. Dunea purposefully chose this meaning or not, I must agree with him in
either case -- although I prefer to think he knows his Shakespeare.
Misplaced flattery
Sirs: Although I agree with Mr. Dunea's assessment of Mr. Clinton's
present status (BMJ1998;317:1165), I wonder if his use of the word
"petard" was purposeful, or as I suspect, a malapropism. In 1967, Strand
et al. (N Engl J Med, Jul 13; 277(2):89-91) coined the term lycoperdonosis
to describe a form of hypersensitivity pneumonia due to inhalation of the
woodland puffball(lycopodium) to treat nosebleeds; the roundish spore,
once popular in American apothocaries, is produced by a club moss, and was
once believed to be fossilized remains of a wolf's flatus. Strand and his
co-authors then explored the original uses for "mortar" (a rudimentary
cannon) and "petard", a very large mortar. However, this well known
Shakespearian phrase has always meant to refer to a tremendous expulsion,
a mega-flatus, sufficiently powerful to have one leave his feet. Whether
Mr. Dunea purposefully chose this meaning or not, I must agree with him in
either case -- although I prefer to think he knows his Shakespeare.
Competing interests: No competing interests