LETTER
Lark-and-Elephant Pie Meets Humble Pie
Drummond Rennie, MD
15 February 1993 | Volume 118 Issue 4 | Page 320
TO THE EDITOR:
While reading and greatly admiring your wise editorial [1] on the importance of the physical diagnosis, I came across your citation, both in the text and the references (number 7), to an equally admirable and wise editorial written by Sackett. The latter introduces an exciting series in JAMA by which the art and science of history-taking and physical examination are being analyzed, criticized, quantified, and perhaps revolutionized.
Something stirred in my memory, and I pulled the reference to confirm that this was indeed the masterly description and inspired prescription that had so struck me when it first appeared in JAMA.
At the same time, I could not help noticing that I was coauthor of this lyrical yet elegiac piece; indeed, it says so, right there on the last page [2].
Anyone who has ever attempted any great endeavor with Sackett (and there have been many) must soon, and for good reason, feel like the lark in lark-and-elephant pie. It's humbling to find out that others see it the same way.
1. Fletcher RH, Fletcher SW. Has medicine outgrown physical diagnosis? Ann Intern Med. 1992; 117:786-7.
2. Sackett DL, Rennie D. The science of the art of the clinical examination. JAMA. 1992; 267:2650-2.
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