An inexpensive and edible aid for the diagnosis of puberty in the male: multispecies evaluation of an alternative orchidometer
BMJ 2001; 323 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7327.1486 (Published 22 December 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:1486
All rapid responses
Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed. Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles. The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not including references and author details. We will no longer post responses that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
Having read the article by Bhalla and colleagues on an alternative to
the orchidometer it was difficult to believe that it had actually been
accepted to be published. The piece of work claimed to be "research" was
mocking something which is actually subjectively, and hence,
inappropriately quantified in most out patient clinics. It is widely known
that men are not as diligent as women who may present to gynaecology
clinics and it is to add insult to injury if a chocolate sweet is
suggested as an alternative based on price, palatibilty and edibility.
As an undergraduate who has been heavily encouraged throughout
medical school to submit papers to reputable journals i find this
"Thinking Ahead" disappointing. I understand this is an inexperienced
opinion but nontheless may hold true for many others.
Radhika Aggarwal
Competing interests: No competing interests
In Singapore, one can buy orchids plated with pure gold. The gold thickness is measured with a different orchidometer. In a mutually beneficient merger, perhaps Singaporeans could coat Teasers and Truffles with gold and find in the result, a device with even more capabilities, such as Harley Street doctors would appreciate. No conflicting interests, I got my lollies off in many differet ways. Sherro.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Editor
As a slightly reformed chocoholic I was intrigued by the paper by
Bhalla, Sally, Pippa and Williams. As one who has worked extensively in
warmer climates than the UK, I supsect that the major flaw in the research
is the direct relationship between the level of the ambient temperature
and the messiness of the measuring device. Trials (n of 1) show not
surprisingly a direct relationship which is difficult to overcome, even if
the measuring device is kept prior to use within a controlled environment
where the temperature is between 1 and 4 celcius. I suspect it gives a
good excuse in the end though!
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Sir
It is fortunate that Pippa and Sally survived the research. (1). They
may have found the surrogate orchidometers "palatable", but the real ones
would have been undoubtedly less toxic.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Teasers (from
personal experience), however, are milk chocolate and the toxic dose would
be about 1.4kg for a 25kg dog. Plain and cooking chocolates contain much
higher concentrations. (2)
I wonder what the canine ethics committee would have said on the
matter!
References
1. Bhalla P, Sally, Pippa, et al. An inexpensive and edible aid for
the diagnosis of puberty in the male: multispecies evaluation of an
alternative orchidometer. BMJ 2001; 323: 1486.
2. Chocolate toxicity in dogs.
http://www.idir.net/~wolf2dog/chocolate.htm. Accessed on 19th December
2001.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Sorry to be so serious
Yes medicine is a serious business. But if you cannot laugh at
oneself, (even if everybody else is laughing at you) you should maybe go
to a class that works on your sense of humour. Enough said this is a
serious piece of work, medical instruments are very expensive, possibly
far to expensive, if you are from Africa you would agree with this. This
paper allows one to become totally creative and design cost effective
instruments to replace expensive instruments you would not be able to
purchase otherwise.
I know that I will never again look at chocolate covered sweeties the
same way as before. They are no longer just food items. PS do not do this
trial with cats, they have no such intrest in such things.
PPS Gerbils on the other hand can not be trusted to leave sweeties alone
they always chew everything.
My warmest regards and wishing that further great works of scientific
endeavour find their way into the Worlds journals.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests