Volume 199 - Issue 11
The issue about Christmas
Author: Stephen Leeder
Med J Aust 2013; 199 (11): 715. || doi: 10.5694/mja13.c1216
Published online: 16 December 2013
Published online: 16 December 2013
Laze a bit, reflect, share, enjoy, draw water from the deep wells of the past, and prepare for an active new year
Long and tangled threads of history, culture and religion hang from the word “Christmas”. It is difficult to discern its meaning for today and therefore what the content of the MJA should be at this season. We hazard three interpretations, which are reflected in the following pages.
First, Christmas means holidays, so we hope you find this issue of the Journal relaxing holiday reading. One should remember that the opportunity for idleness is ultimately a good thing. An essay in the The Economist titled “In praise of laziness” used observations from productivity studies to show that busyness is bad for creativity and lateral thinking. Chief among the reasons why people had too much busyness was not too many meetings, but too much email. So, instead of email, we have several lighthearted MJA Christmas Competition entries to cheer you — with topics from syncope, alopecia and hobbits to the power of gold coins and delights from the milliner — in our Christmas Crackers section (winners announced below).
Second, although the religious significance of Christmas varies in Australian society, it traditionally remains a time to think generously about others, especially the marginalised and disadvantaged. Several articles in this issue ask us to think carefully about their needs. Self-determination in health is a key theme in Russell’s argument for the role of Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations in enabling Indigenous people’s access to mainstream health care (doi: 10.5694/mja13.11127). Mokak describes an innovative workshop to encourage Indigenous high school students to pursue a career in health (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10894). In the case of refugees, Deans and colleagues report that mental health problems were the most common reason for asylum seekers in detention to attend the emergency department in Darwin (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10447). Procter and colleagues stress that harm prevention strategies in this group need to consider the contribution that closed detention makes to their distressing problems (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10804). Triggs reminds us that, as recently as August 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Committee again found Australia in breach of its human rights obligations (doi: 10.5694/mja13.11369). As President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, she reiterates the Commission’s recommendation to increase the use of community detention and bridging visas as more sensible and humane choices than closed detention.
Third, Christmas helps us recall the value we place on family and friends. We share gifts and meals, and endure Christmas Day in the company of extended family for a good cause. In this way we connect, even if dimly, with our deepest values. We in medicine are especially fortunate that, relating to people deeply so often, we are frequently reminded of these values — love, hope and generosity. The essence of family love is touchingly recounted by Whitehall (doi: 10.5694/mja13.11195), and we can empathise with Weksler’s hope of a new treatment for a dying son (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10908). Meanwhile, the spirit and generosity of rural communities may be one reason behind Clark and colleagues’ finding that undertaking an extended rural placement during medical school was associated with accepting a rural internship as a graduate (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10036).
Robert Bellah, the acclaimed sociologist of religion at the University of California, Berkeley, died in July this year, aged 86. In the preface to Religion in human evolution: from the Paleolithic to the Axial Age, Bellah said that his book “asks what our deep past can tell us about the kind of life human beings have imagined was worth living. It is an effort to live again those moments that belong to us in the depths of our present, to draw living water from the well of the past”. Perhaps Christmas can help us do that for ourselves.
The staff at the MJA join me in wishing you a happy Christmas. Laze a bit, reflect, share, enjoy, draw water from the deep wells of the past, and prepare for an active new year.
It did not take much tugging at our readers to get them to enter the MJA’s annual Christmas Competition. The finalists in this issue’s Christmas Crackers section address not only pressing medical problems, but also those plaguing research, from A to Z (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10770). The winning entry by Hopkinson and Hopkinson provides a physiological explanation of why good triumphs over evil (doi: 10.5694/mja13.10218), and the runner-up entry by Mallows coins a new way to reduce unnecessary investigations (doi: 10.5694/mja13.11298). But there are also more serious reflections on medical life, such as the true meaning of night shift (doi: 10.5694/mja13.11112) — not so far from the true meaning of Christmas.
Manuscripts received 2012–2013
| Manuscripts | Accepted | Received | % |
| Total | 650 | 1589 | 40.9% |
| Research | 103 | 500 | 20.6% |
| Cases | 27 | 154 | 17.5% |
| Perspectives | 77 | 163 | 47.2% |
| Letters | 242 | 362 | 66.9% |
| Mean days to decision | |||
| Total | Research | ||
| To reject | 54 | 54 | |
| To accept | 94 | 160 | |
| Reviewers used | 1643 | ||
| Impact factor | 2.853 |
Content Review Committee
Specialist Advisers
Reviewers (submitted
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Henry G Cutler Andrew Dalton Craig B Dalton Diona Damian Scott K D'Amours John Daniels Lynne A Daniels Anthony M Dart Mike Daube Michael F Daubney Sandra K Davidson Lucy Davies Michael J Davies Philip K Davies Joshua S Davis Susan R Davis Timothy M E Davis Margaret L J Davy Andrew H Dawson Richard O Day Caroline M de Costa Julien Paul de Jager Nicholas H de Klerk Evelyne de Leeuw Gregory M de Moore Shelley Deeks Christopher B Del Mar Martin B Delatycki Leigh W Delbridge Stephen A Della-Fiorentina Michael C d'Emden Apo Demirkol Jack (John) L Dempsey Justin T Denholm Graeme J Dennerstein Catherine A D'Este Peter Deutschmann Helen M Dewey Peter Di Marco James A Dickinson Jan E Dickinson Paul M Dietze Geoffrey J Dobb Malcolm D H Dobbin Timothy A Dobbins Dorota A Doherty Xenia Dolja-Gore Matthew P Doogue Michael J Dooley Gregory J Dore John S Dowden Nicki Dowling Robert P Dowsett Olaf H Drummer Gregory Ducrocq Michael J Dudley Johan A Duflou Trevor Duke Nicola Dunbar John R Dyer Christine A Dykstra Sandra J Eades Creswell J Eastman John G Eastwood Peter R Ebeling Phillip S Ebrall Carl W Edmonds Elizabeth A Edwards Hooi C Ee Paul V Effler Robert H Eikelboom Stewart L Einfeld Diann S Eley David A Ellwood Dallas R English Michael W N Epstein Guy D Eslick David Espinoza Adrian J Esterman Christopher Etherton-Beer Ben D Ewald Paul P Fahey Christopher K Fairley Elizabeth A Farmer Christopher-John L Farrell A Michael Fasher Thomas A Faunce Steven G Faux Anne Fawcett Michael R Fearnside John K Ferguson Mark J Ferson David I K Fielding David W Firman Malcolm McD Fisher Kenneth D Fitch Dominic A Fitzgerald Mark C B Fitzgerald Paul B Fitzgerald Michael P Fitzharris Arthas Flabouris Louisa Flander John I Fleming Janice M Fletcher John P Fletcher Peter J Fletcher Leon Flicker Christopher M Florkowski Eleanor M Flynn David A Forbes Roberto Forero Brett H Forge S Lesley Forster Kevin D Forsyth Saul B Freedman Becky Freeman Craig J French Lin Fritschi Frank A Frizelle Gavin W Frost Mark Frydenberg Gordian W O Fulde Peter J Fuller John W Funder Lance A Gable Martin P Gallagher Barbara C Galland Alexander S Gallus Vinod Ganju Glenn J Gardener Sarah Patricia Garnett Andrew P Garnham Coral E Gartner Paul A Gatenby Liezl Gaum Bronwyn Gaut Paul H Gavel Val J Gebski Laurence B Geffen Paul Gerber Lisa-ann Gershwin Kay L Gibbons John Gibson Peter R Gibson Alan J Gijsbers Andrew L Gilbert Gwendolyn L Gilbert Anthony Gill Lynn H Gillam Marisa T Gilles James Andrew Gillespie Jonathan Gillis Christian M Girgis Rodney C Givney Nicholas J Glasgow Katie Glass Paul P Glasziou John D Glover Nicholas Glozier Robyn M Godding Stacy K Goergen Robert D Goldney John M Goldsmid Clayton L Golledge Beatrice A Golomb Phillip D Good David L Gordon Michael S Gordon Richard Gordon Susan J Gordon Alexandra S Gorelik Iain B Gosbell Thomas Gottlieb C Roger Goucke Gillian S Gould Genevieve A Goulding Kerry J Goulston Cameron C Grant Tanya Grassi Linda V Graudins Stephen E Graves Stephen Roger Graves Natalie J Gray M Lindsay Grayson Shaun L Greene Mathis Grossmann Sonia R Grover Charles S Guest Graham J Gumley Hasantha Gunasekera Naren Gunja Leena Gupta Jillian A Guthrie Steven J Haas Paul S Haber Sandra M Hacker David (Ted) W Hackstadt David M Hailey Ian E Haines George Halasz Robert Hall Wayne D Hall Alan W Hampson Elizabeth Handsley Graeme J Hankey Terry J Hannan David P Hansen Emily C Hansen Janet Hardy David Harley Paul L Harper Richard W Harper Margaret-Anne Harris Ricci Harris James E Harrison John A L Hart Roger J Hart Gunter Hartel Narelle L Haworth Lesleyanne Hawthorne Andrew M Haydon Andrew Hayen Noel E Hayman Richard B Hays Philip L Hazell Christopher H Heath Geoffrey S Hebbard Robert J Heddle Margaret M Hegarty Gillian Z Heller Richard F Heller A Scott Henderson Michael A Henderson Robert Henning Michael J Hensley Ana Herceg Wayne M Herdy Peter Hersey David G Hewett Sarah Hill Lybus C Hillman Sarah N Hilmer John M N Hilton Reece A Hinchcliff Vasant Hirani Christopher D Hogan Patrick G Hogan Bevan DHokin Brien A Holden Carol A Holden Richard Holloway Sean Hood Sandy M Hopper John D Horowitz Anthony K House Nehmat Houssami Kirsten Howard Laurie G Howes Peter P Howley Jennifer F Hoy Wendy C Y Hu Bernard J Hudson Thomas B Hugh Lisa Hui Joseph Hung Leonie G Hunt Roger W Hunt Peter C Hunter Linda Hutcheon Sarah J Hyde Zoe Hyde Francesco L Ierino Warrick J Inder Timothy J JInglis Jon Iredell Anton N Isaacs David Isaacs Timothy W Isaacs Geoffrey K Isbister Alan F Isles Rebecca Q Ivers Angela Ives Peter A Jacoby Lisa M Jamieson Stephen Jan Edward D Janus Tania (Tatiana) Janusic Michael Jefford George A Jelinek V Michael Jelinek Grant A Jenkin David J Jenkins Garry L R Jennings Richmond W Jeremy David Joffe Paul D R Johnson Fay H Johnston Trisha C Johnston |
D Brian Jones Graham R D Jones Mike P Jones Rodney P Jones Sandra C Jones Anthony F Jorm Louisa R Jorm Matthew D Jose David J L Joske Catherine M Joyce Fiona K Judd Caroline Jung Moira Junge Johan D Jurgens Megan J Kalucy Ross S Kalucy Ian J Kamerman Markku Kaste Leonie V Katekar Andrew H Kaye Catherine Keating Milica Kecmanovic Anthony C Keech Alison Keed Richard F Kefford Gerben B Keijzers Marc J N C Keirse Anne-Maree Kelly Heath A Kelly John W Kelly Michael J Kelly Robert I Kelly David J Kennaway Declan Kennedy Gerard Kennedy Michael C Kennedy Peter J Kennedy Ross K Kerridge Alison M Kesson Dev A S Kevat Yeasmin Khandakar Soo Keat Khoo Michael R Kidd Belinda E Kiely Monique Kilkenny David Kilner Stuart A Kinner Adrienne C Kirby Judith A Kirk Nadja Klafke Stephen Kleid Michel Kliot Rachel J Knott Vikki E Knott Bogda Koczwara Ann P Koehler Anna Kokavec Pamela Konecny Robert J Kosky Steven Kossard Sradha Kotwal Gabor T Kovacs Emma E Kowal Nicholas M Kowalenko Anthea S Krieg Dennis L Kuchar Helga Kuhse Fiona R Lake Daniel J Lalor Stephen B Lambert Lisa Lampe Andrew J Langley Matthew M Large Sarah L Larkins Gillian A Laven Mitchell Lawlor Christopher G Lawrence Paul D Lawton Julie Leask Karin Leder Amanda J Lee Katherine Lee Richard P Lee Stephen R Leeder Peter A Leggat Sandra G Leggat Deborah Lehmann Simon R Lenton David E Leslie Florence Levy Miriam T Levy Lucy N Lewis Joel Lexchin Qiang Li Shu Qin Li Siaw-Teng Liaw J Norelle Lickiss Devora Lieberman Craig M Lilienthal Beng Ghee Lim Jennifer M Lindley Steven J Lindstrom Nicholas Lintzeris Wendy L Lipworth J Miles Little Mark Little Melissa H Little Serigne N Lo Sing Kai Lo David F M Looke Charles W Lott Judy A Lowthian Michael P Lowy Clement Loy Robyn M Lucas Joanne N Luke Stephen V Lynch Graham J Macdonald Peter S MacDonald John S Mackenzie Dorothy E M Mackerras Finlay A Macrae William (Bill) J Madden Guy J Maddern Parker J Magin Graeme P Maguire Peter K Maitz Donna B Mak Maria Makrides John J Males G Mark Malouf G Bruce Mann Haider R Mannan Laurens Manning Darren R Mansfield Andrea Mant Panos G Maouris Louise J Maple-Brown Paul R Mara Peter G Markey Alexandra L Markwell Caroline Marshall Roger J Marshall Andrew J Martin Sarah J Martin Timothy H Mathew John D Mathews John J S Mattick Danielle Mazza Daniel McAullay Kristin E McBain-Rigg W John H McBride Bradley J McCall James S McCarthy Mary E McCaskill Brian C McCaughan Geoffrey W McCaughan Roderick J McClure Geoffrey J McColl Pamela A McCombe Christopher J McCormack Joseph G McCormack Geoffrey B McCowage Brett M C McDermott Peter J McDonald Michael J McDowell David McGechie Patrick D McGorry Treasure M McGuire Fran McInerney Catherine A McIntosh Peter B McIntyre Andrew J McLachlan Clarie McLintock I Chris McManus Bridgette McNamara Simon J McRae Bettina Meiser Muhammed A Memon Richard M Mendelson Robert I Menzies Tracy L Merlin Jack Metz Cathrine Mihalopoulos Thais A Miles William J Milford Russell K Miller Helen Milroy Adrian Mindel David H Mitchell David J Mitchell Geoffrey K Mitchell Philip B Mitchell Rob D Mitchell Francis Mitrou Paula Mohacsi Mohammadreza Mohebbi Mohammed M Mohsin Rebekah J Moles Harry G Mond Michael Montalto Brett D Montgomery David J Moore Elizabeth M Moore Kim L Moretti Christopher J Morgan Helen J Moriarty Peter Morley Philip L P Morris Joel Moss Robert F W Moulds David Mountain Sandy Muecke Heidi Muenchberger Raymond J Mullins Jane E Munro Joel Murchie John Murray Kevin Murray Richard B Murray Ronan J Murray Arthur (Bill) W Musk Kenneth A Myers Ludomyr J Mykyta Cate A Nagle Balakrishnan (Kichu) R Nair Louise M Nash Lakshmi Shriram Nath Rachel E Neale Mark R Nelson Peter W New Louise K Newman Harvey H Newnham Ainsley Newson Hanh T T Ngo Peter K Ngo Anh-Minh Nguyen Kathleen M Nicholls Graeme R Nimmo Christopher J Nolan Robert J Norman Caryl A Nowson Don Nutbeam Cornelius (Kees) Martinus Nydam Jeremy J N Oats Paul E O'Brien Dianne L O'Connell Catherine C O'Connor Liam F O'Connor Kerin O'Dea Morris S Odell Jake H Olivier Ian N Olver Susanne P O'Malley Peter K O'Rourke Richard H Osborne Matthew O'Sullivan Donald R Packham Deborah Paltridge Kathryn S Panaretto Yin Paradies Vanita R Parekh Gordon B Parker Malcolm H Parker Neil R Parker Robert M Parker Bonny Parkinson Trevor R Parmenter Jennifer S Parsons Dennis R Pashen George C Patton Hedley G Peach Louis G Peachey Bronwyn Jane Peirce Stella Pendle Gavin F Pereira Paul L Pers Andrew F Pesce Madelyn Peterson Christine B Phillips Gregory Phillips Martin J Phillips Stephen R Phillips Francesco Piccolo Leonard S Piers Avinesh Pillai S Praga Pillay Louis S Pilotto Stephen Pincock Leon Piterman Marian K Pitts Kevan R Polkinghorne Christina Mary Pollard C Dimity Pond Phillippa J Poole Cynthia Porter Jeffrey J Post Jennifer R Powers |
Anna M H Price Naomi C Priest Richard L Prince Paul Prociv Anthony M Proietto Joseph Proietto Inga Prokopenko Carolyn Quadrio Julie A Quinlivan Michael J Quinn Anna Ralph Sarath Ranganathan Geetha Ranmuthugala William D Rawlinson Steve Reddell Andrew M Redmond Glenn EM Reeves Brian G Regan Ian R Reid Chris Reynolds Bernadette J Richards Jeff R Richardson Claire M Rickard Michael J Rigby Malcolm D Riley Thomas V Riley Paul G Rippon Christopher Roberts Andrew G Robertson Iain Kilpatrick Robertson Ross Roberts-Thomson J Owen Robinson Peter C Robinson Julie C Robotham Monica C Robotin Stephen J Robson David M Roder Allan Roger Wendy A Rogers Kathlyn J Ronaldson Sebastian P Rosenberg Jeffrey V Rosenfeld William Rosner Glynis P Ross Dominic B Rowe Kevin G Rowley Tilman A Ruff Richard E Ruffin Bruce David Rumbold William B Runciman Naomi Runnegar Darren B Russell Grant M Russell Lesley M Russell Christopher J Ryan Monique M Ryan Joanne Margaret Said Peter Sainsbury Ruth Salom Jonathan M Samet Michael J Sandow Diana Sarfati W Peter Saul Christobel M Saunders Robyn P-M Saw Susan M Sawyer Peter L Schattner Deborah J Schofield Stephan A Schug Udo Schuklenk Max A Schwarz Andrew M Scott Russ J Scott David J Scrimgeour Katrina J Scurrah Holly Seale J Paul Seale Warwick S Selby Mark Selikowitz Linda A Selvey Jillian R Sewell Jamie E Seymour Frank A Shann Gabriel J Shannon David R Shaw Jonathan E Shaw Frances Shawyer Julia M Shelley David A Sholl Rupendra N Shrestha Karen N Simmer Rodney D Sinclair Andrew P Sindone Jagdishwar Singh Sankar N Sinha Vitali Sintchenko Jaelea Skehan John Skelton Loane L C Skene Clare Alice Skinner Steven J Skov Monica A Slavin Richard A Smallwood Anthony C Smith Anthony J Smith David E Smith David P Smith Julian A Smith Karen Smith Malcolm D Smith Mitchell M Smith Peter Smith Peter J Smith Richard S W Smith Sally Smith Wayne Smith Lisa G Smithers John A Snowdon Benjamin Solomon David J Speers Denis W Spelman W John Spicer Allan D Spigelman Andrew Spillane John B Spillane D James B St John Hans G Stampfer Rosemary A Stanton Richard A Stapledon Margaret P Staples Efty P Stavrou Ian D Steven Matthew Stevens Christopher E Stevenson Cameron L Stewart Gregory J Stewart Jennifer A Stewart Williams Martin R Stockler Timothy R Stockwell Johannes U Stoelwinder Mark Stoove Nicholas W Stow Roger P Strasser Ivan Stratov Alison Street David M Studdert Danny H Sullivan David R Sullivan Rajah Supramaniam Tatiana Surzhina Tom R Sutherland Graeme K Suthers Ashwin Swaminathan Cate Swannell Brian Symon Mark S Sywak Jeffrey Szer Peter W Tait Michael L Talbot Nicholas J Talley James Tatoulis Martin H N Tattersall David McD Taylor Adam G Testro Susan Tett Jill E Thistlethwaite David P Thomas Josephine S Thomas Shane A Thomas Peter L Thompson Colin J H Thomson Napier M Thomson Neil J Thomson Peter L Thomson Peter F Thursby Dominic S Thyagarajan Tilenka Thynne James Tibballs Mark L H Tie David J Tiller Ronald P Tomlins Anne L Tonkin Michael J Toole Les J Toop James Toouli Duncan J Topliss Otilie Tork David Torpy Huy A Tran Catherine M Travers Philip G Truskett A Stewart Truswell Justin Tse Graeme R Tucker Richard Turner Robin Turner Stuart P Turner John D Turnidge Gavin Turrell Dimitra Tzioumi Shahid Ullah Timothy Usherwood David Vaile Peter P Van Asperen Helen J Van Gessel Philippe Veltsos Graham V Vimpani E Theo Vos Vicki Wade Mark L Wahlqvist Karen Z Walker Robert J Walker Euan M Wallace Helen L Walls John P Walsh Warren F Walsh Garry J Walter William L Walter Barry N J Walters Darren L Walters Merrilyn Walton Handan Wand Han Wang Jie Jin Wang Yueping (Alex) Wang Zhiqiang Wang Jeanette E Ward Robert S Ware Orli Wargon Lachlan J Warren Grant W Waterer John D G Watson David A K Watters Jennifer Watts John R Waugh Bruce P Waxman Susan M Wearne Murray T Webber Lynn M Weekes William (Bill) M Weightman Peter Wein John M Weiner Philip Weinstein Jennifer M Weller Steven L Wesselingh Ann F Westmore Douglass Wheen R Michael Whitby Julian White Gordon S Whyte Bridget Wilcken Garry J Wilkes Lesley M Wilkes Chris S Wilkinson David Wilkinson Timothy J Wilkinson Simon Mark Willcock Alexander B Willson D Andrew Wilson David H Wilson Ian G Wilson Kumanan R Wilson Nigel Wilson Tania M Winzenberg Gary A Wittert John H Wlodarczyk Alex D Wodak Alan M Wolff Ming Chao Wong Henry H Woo Fiona M Wood Timothy O Wood Thomas M Woodcock Paul D Woodhouse Richard J Woodman Marion Lester Woods Michael C Woodward Robyn E Woodward-Kron Leon J Worth John M Worthington Edwina J Wright Elizabeth J Wylie Ian A Yang Bu Beng Yeap Kwang C Yee Lisa N Yelland Wilf Yeo Kwan Yeoh Choong-Siew Yong Danny Youlden Doris Y L Young Jane M Young Stuart J Youngner Kally Yuen Paul Z Zimmet Nicholas A Zwar Anthony B Zwi Karen J Zwi |