Cello Scrotum Hoax

While the scientific process of submitting research to journals for peer review results in a pretty good system of discovery, there are bound to be a few holes. Thirty years ago, Dr. Elaine Murphy submitted a letter to the British Medical Journal detailing her experiences with treating what she called “cello scrotum”. That is, an irritation cellists suffer from rubbing their testicles on their instruments. Of course, anyone who watches a cellist perform can tell that it’s difficult to rub your ballsack raw on the back of the instrument unless you have titanic balls. Still, the letter stuck. And when cello scrotum was referenced in a recent BMJ retrospective, Dr. Murphy decided to fess up that the whole thing was a hoax. She says she was inspired by a similar letter about “guitar nipple”. A spokesman for the BMJ says no one will be reprimanded for the fake letter, adding that such hoaxes contribute to the “gaiety of life”. Indeed. More details here.