[PDF][PDF] History of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1924-1959. II. Scientific contents

PK Bondy - The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1959 - Am Soc Clin Investig
PK Bondy
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1959Am Soc Clin Investig
The most interesting aspects of the history of the JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
are those pertaining to its contents. Since the editors have, from the beginning, printed
unsolicited manuscripts, the subjects of the papers which have been published have
depended to some extent on the interests and attitudes of its authors. One might speculate at
length as to what passes through an author's mind when he decides where to send his
manuscript. Certainly, such considerations as the nature of the article, the audience for …
The most interesting aspects of the history of the JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION are those pertaining to its contents. Since the editors have, from the beginning, printed unsolicited manuscripts, the subjects of the papers which have been published have depended to some extent on the interests and attitudes of its authors. One might speculate at length as to what passes through an author's mind when he decides where to send his manuscript. Certainly, such considerations as the nature of the article, the audience for which it is intended, the probability of its acceptance, and the prestige of the journal as compared with others in the field enter into his decision. Undoubtedly all of these factors have influenced the material available to the editors of the Journal. The interests and critical abilities of the editors have, in turn, modified the selection of the articles which have finally been accepted. In order to evaluate the pattern which has resulted, I have reviewed briefly the contents of the Journal over the past 35 years. I have paid particular attention to evidence of changing interests of the contributors and to the introduction of new attitudes and techniques into the field of clinical investigation, as mirrored by the articles published by the Journal. One of the most clear-cut results of this survey is the unexpected fact that little change has occurred through the years in the distribution of articles among most of the major fields of interest. Within fairly narrow limits, thepercentage of papers dealing with problems in gastroenterology, infectious diseases or the processes of metabolism has remained unchanged. There has, however, been a gradual reduction in the proportion of papers dealing with the circulatory system. Since" competing" specialtyjournals in all of these fields began publication after the establishment of the Journal, it appears that the availability of other channels for diffusion of scientific knowledge has had a variable effect on what is submittedto the Journal for publication.
The major interests of our authors have, of course, changed with the years, but certain problems appear to have exerted a continuing fascina-tion on clinical investigators. Throughout its 35 years, the Journal has carried papers concerned with such topics as the measurement of body fluid compartments, the factors regulating the balance of electrolytes, the mechanism of edema and as-cites formation, the nature of" shock" and factors which determine its reversibility, the cause of ar-terial hypertension, and the measurement and clinical significance of a variety of pulmonary func-tions. Although the methods which have been brought to bear on these subjects have evolved greatly, satisfactory answers to certain of the problems have still not been obtained. In other cases (such as those concerned with body fluid compartments) the determination of acceptable normal values has been followed by investigation of clinical and physiological situations of increasing complexity. The introduction of new techniques has usually called for re-investigation of previously determined data. For example, plasma volume was first investigated by the dyes" brilliant vital red" and later with" Evans blue"(T-1824), introduced into clinical investigation by Gibson and Evans, J. clin. Invest., 1937, 16,301. The re-sults obtained by these methods were later con-firmed by measuring the distribution of I'31-labeled human serum albumin (Crispell, Porter and Nieset, 1950, 29, 513) and by the use of radioiron or chromium-labeled erythrocytes (Sterling and Gray, 1950, 29, 1614) combined with the hematocrit.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation