Cello scrotum

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Cello scrotum is a

British Medical Journal in 1974.[1][2][3] As its name suggests, it was purportedly an affliction of the scrotum affecting male players of the cello
.

History

The original letter

jogger's nipple
), which Murphy and her husband believed was likely a joke.

Murphy now points out that even a cursory study of the cellist's posture would show that the 'cello scrotum' complaint would not occur. The unlikelihood of a cellist's posture contributing to scrotal injury was raised back in 1974, but seems to have been overlooked.[5]

Murphy admitted the hoax in 2009 in another letter to the BMJ

Christmas edition of the BMJ made reference to the complaint.[8] The truth of the case report had already been questioned in the medical literature in 1991.[9] Others have cited it,[10] although expressing scepticism.[11][12]

The implications of this and other hoax medical letters for

public understanding of science were discussed by Séamus Mac Suibhne.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^
    PMID 4827125
    .
  2. ^ "Peer reveals 'cello scrotum' hoax". Health. BBC News Online. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  3. ^ "'Cello scrotum' exposed as a hoax". CNN. 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  4. PMID 4857619
    .
  5. S2CID 220229890
    .
  6. S2CID 34252130
    .
  7. ^ Pavia, Will (January 28, 2009). "Cello scrotum? It's a load of...nonsense, admits Baroness Murphy". The Times.
  8. S2CID 43774021
    .
  9. PMID 1827803. (in reference to Rimmer & Spielvogel 1990
    )
  10. ^
    ASIN B00A1M5N5Y
    .
  11. PMID 15090069
    .
  12. PMID 2138638
    .


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