# I. Introduction

n the field of informatics, the printing error is of considerable interest (1) . Dubbed "Printer's Devil," the author made use of such errors to determine that the magazine, Current Contents, was the innate source in his experience (2) .

Research, according to Alan Gregg (3) , "profits from the slightest deviation from the conduct expected from Nature." It is in this sense that such deviation is equally true of human conduct. Therefore, what of the publications of the medical masters of yester years? Their publications in the Transactions of the Pathological Society of London enamored Willis (4) , the great author of "The Spread of Tumours in the Human Body." Indeed, he revealed it by frequently citing from them when bolstering historical data. Moreover, Burnet (5) did advice that in research it is necessary to be aware of the historical antecedents. Consequently, it was while pursuing this apt advice that I came across a documentable printer's devil! II. Historical Text F. C. Turner (6) furnished a Card Specimen before the London Society. The title was "Medullary sarcoma of both ovaries and of the peritoneum in a child aged 6." Actually, he began thus:

The specimen consists of the pelvic organs of a female child aged 6. Both ovaries are converted into rounded masses of medullary sarcomatous growth. The right ovary is as large as a full-sized orange. The left ovary is smaller; it was adherent to a large mass of growth surrounding the caecum and commencement of the ascending colon. The right ovary was free.

Free it was not. Thus, as I will italicize, his discussion also centered on two ovaries. Moreover, he Author: Department of Pathology, Medical Foundation and Clinic, 8, Nsukka Lane, Enugu, Nigeria. e-mail: wilson.onuigbo@gmail.com did add that "Sections of the growth in the ovaries showed the structure of small round-celled sarcoma."


# III. Discussion

The author is persuaded that throwing light on both right (7) and wrong (8) historical accounts are good for the growth of scientific knowledge. Thus, as an Editorial has it (9) , the historical perspective of "medical truths" require continuing validation. In sum, errors are worthy of being pointed out. Incidentally, the modern trend is to ensure quality in science editing and publishing (10) !
		
		
			

				


* 
	
		Errors-theirs, ours and yours. Essays of an Information Scientist
		
			EGarfield
		
		
			1974
			ISI Press
			2
			
			Philadelphia
		
	




* 
	
		Printer's Devil and Reprint Requests
		
			WI BOnuigbo
		
	
	
		J. Am. Soc. Infor. Sci
		
			33
			
			1982
		
	




* 
	
		The Furtherance of Medical Research
		
			AGregg
		
		
			1945
			New Heaven, CT Yale; UP, P. 98
		
	




* 
	
		The Spread of Tumours in the Human Body
		
			RAWillis
		
		
			1973
			Butterworths
			London
		
	




* 
	
		Morphogenesis in Cancer
		
			MBurnet
		
	
	
		Med. J. Aust
		
			1
			
			1977
		
	




* 
	
		Medullary Sarcoma of both Ovaries and of the Peritoneum in a Child Aged 6
		
			PCTurner
		
	
	
		Trans. Path. Soc. Lond
		
			44
			110
			1893
		
	




* 
	
		Historical Trends in Cancer Surgery
		
			WIOnuigbo
		
	
	
		Med. History
		
			6
			
			1962
		
	




* 
	
		False Firsts in Cancer Literature
		
			WI BOnuigbo
		
	
	
		Oncology
		
			25
			
			1971
		
	




* 
	
		Medical Truths in Historical Perspective
		
			KMMoser
		
	
	
		Heart Lung
		
			16
			
			1987
		
	




* 
	
		Editorial. Do we have tools for quality assurance in science editing and publishing?
		
			VVicic-Hudorovic
		
		
			NHudorovic
		
		
			AMGasparyan
		
	
	
		Euro Sci. Edit
		
			40
			4
			
			2014