Mirror of Medicine. A History of the British Medical Journal.

The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the British Medical Journal provides the occasion for P. W. L Bartrip's Mirror of Medicine. A History of the British Medical Journal (Oxford: Clarendon P. and British Medical Journal, 1990; pp. xiv + 338. [pounds]36.50). Although it was at first overshadowed by Thomas Wakley and The Lancet, the BMJ evolved into a major force in late Victorian medicine, largely owing to the successful editorship of Ernest Hart. Subsequently, the BMJ grew in significance as the BMA increased in political influence until, during the negotiations leading up to the NHS, the journal emerged as a powerful propaganda machine. Although never rivalling The Lancet …