Paper
Alliteration in medicine: a puzzling profusion of p's
Cite this as:
BMJ
1999;319:1605
- Gregory F Hayden, professor (gfh{at}virginia.edu)
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Medical Center of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
Abstract
Problem: Puzzling, progressive profusion of alliterative “p's” in published papers.
Purpose: To depict this particular “p” predominance with pinpoint precision.
Plan: Periodic, painstaking perusal of periodicals by a professor of paediatrics.
Proposal: The “p” plethora is positively perplexing and potentially perturbing. Alliteration is a literary device consisting of repetition of the same starting sound in several words in a sentence.1 Consider, for example, Shakespeare's playful parody of alliteration in Peter Quince's prologue in A Midsummer Night's Dream:
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