The BMJ, BSE, and vCJD

Usually the BMJ avoids blowing its own trumpet, just as it avoids exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is unnecessary at the end of a startling sentence and embarrassing at the end of one that is not startling. Similarly readers will either like us because we do well or squirm if we praise ourselves when we are doing poorly. Not all readers, however, may be aware of the creditable record of the BMJ on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) passing to humans.

Last week Lord Phillips reported on Britain's failure to act more quickly in response …