This issue marks the end of Dr Gillian Mead’s time as Assistant Editor, a task she has performed with consummate skill, precision and good humour. We wish to thank Gillian for her wise support. We welcome Dr Andrew Medford (Bristol) who has become Education Editor. Andrew’s interest in both medical education and publishing will be of great benefit.Each issue is a mosaic of topics which we hope crosses specialty boundaries imaginatively. In this issue the editorial updates the role of bariatric surgery in type 2 diabetes while a study from Cuba shows limitations of serum markers for early stroke diagnosis. A study of over 1,000 (mainly) healthy life insurance applicants emphasises the optimal setting for BP measurement in the clinic. Then there is an audit of IV fluid usage in medical wards. Four ‘Cases of the Quarter’ all reveal key lessons – rarities, unusual presentations or special investigations.The Education section continues the hypertension theme and also looks at the controversy over triage of patients with chest pain. We also look at pharmacogenomics and the relevance of genomics in healthcare, as well as the global public health issue of tuberculosis.Our History section covers the fascinating Edinburgh years of Dr James Barry, a nineteenth century military surgeon widely believed to have been born female; early Scottish psychiatric approaches to general paralysis of the insane and how Sir Charles Locock used potassium bromide.We hope you enjoy these features and that you will consider the Journal for clinical research and historical articles especially.Sandy Raeburn, Editor
