Transforming Society Through Science: The Lancet

On 5 October 1823 the first edition of an independent general medical journal appeared on London’s newsstands + newsstands: edicole . Its editor + SPEAK UP EXPLAINS La parola editor, in inglese, ha diverse accezioni. L’editor può essere la persona incaricata di realizzare attività di ‘edizione’ (editing) dei testi. In sostanza, corregge e migliora i testi, prima della loro pubblicazione. was Thomas Wakley, a surgeon + surgeon: chirurgo  from Devon, who brought on medical colleagues William Lawrence and James Wardrop, journalist William Cobbett, and a libel + libel: diffamazione lawyer as associates.

PRIVILEGE AND NEPOTISM

Wakley named the journal The Lancet after the small very sharp + sharp: affilato surgical instrument, more commonly known as a ‘scalpel’. The weekly publication claimed to report on London’s hospital lectures + lectures: conferenze, lezioni and describe the important cases of the day. However, Wakley’s specific aim + aim: obiettivo  was to attack incompetence, privilege and nepotism in the British medical establishment.

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

The journal dissected medical lectures, exposed malpractices, and even accused the nephew + nephew: nipote (di zia/zio) of the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of incompetence (in his painfully laborious extraction of a bladder stone + bladder stone: calcolo alla vescica through a cut in a patient’s scrotum). Because of its high-profile targets, The Lancet often ended up being sued + to sue: fare causa, denunciare for libel in the courts. In a number of cases, a guilty verdict was returned but then damages set at a very low figure + figure: cifra . This appeared to prove The Lancet’s point: that nepotism existed throughout the British establishment — but that reform was possible. With its reputation intact, The Lancet’s popularity soared + to soar: elevarsi . In 1935, Wakley became a Member of Parliament, where he was an outspoken + outspoken: dichiarato, esplicito proponent of all kinds of social reform. He kept his seat there until 1852. On his death, in 1862, his family retained editorship + SPEAK UP EXPLAINS L’editor può essere la persona incaricata di realizzare attività di ‘edizione’ (editing) dei testi. In sostanza, corregge e migliora i testi, prima della loro pubblicazione. Ma lo stesso termine si usa anche per definire il ‘proprietario’ (publisher) di una casa editrice (publishing house). Pertanto "editorship" in questo contesto deve intendersi come la ‘proprietà’ della casa editrice. of The Lancet until 1908.

relevant RESEARCH

Under new owners, The Lancet’s work continued through the 20th century. It only published research that it saw as relevant to ordinary human lives, and maintained extremely high standards. It published groundbreaking + groundbreaking: rivoluzionari studies, from shell shock + shell shock: psicosi per trauma bellico in World War One soldiers, to diabetes, breast cancer, heart disease, nutritional labelling + labelling: etichettatura and mental healthcare. It conducted campaigns, such as that to ban + to ban: proibire  tobacco in the UK (2003), and to demand an independent investigation into the US bombing of a hospital in Afghanistan (2015).

JOURNALS AND PODCAST

Since 1991, The Lancet has been owned by Dutch + Dutch: olandese academic publisher Elsevier. Its British editor-in-chief + SPEAK UP EXPLAINS È colui che in italiano di solito chiamiamo ‘direttore’, ovvero il responsabile della direzione editoriale di una pubblicazione, ma non il proprietario. is Richard Horton, and it has editorial offices in London, New York City and Beijing. The Lancet Group now encompasses + to encompass: comprendere twenty-four separate journals, each dealing with a specific area of medical research, including HIV + HIV: acronimo di "human immunodeficiency virus" , child and adolescent health, infectious diseases and psychiatry. It also has a fortnightly + fortnightly: quindicinale podcast, The Lancet Voice.