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Armand J. Quick, MD
Milwaukee

JAMA. 1970;214(4):761-762.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

The interesting editorial on the "Half Life of Eponyms" (213:456, 1970) could be greatly expanded since much of the lore and incidences of medical history are closely interlocked with eponyms. As one who finds his own name an "eponymic label," I feel qualified to make certain comments. In developing the prothrombin time test, I did not "harbor a hope" to immortalize my name, nor did those who attached my name to the test have a commemorative objective. The eponymic label was for the purpose of guarding a supposedly superior method for determining prothrombin against being confused with my simple, crude procedure.

Because this simple test continues to serve a useful purpose, the eponym does not appear even now after nearly 35 years to have reached its half-life. Eventually, however, a small q may replace the capital letter, but that will not alter the descriptive value, since . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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