Acronymity

Ricketts discusses the prevalence of acronymia, a disease characterized by the excessive use of acronyms. He tackles the frustration caused by the abundance of acronyms in medical science and government agencies. Specifically, he focuses on acronyms that end in 'x', such as Xerox, which pose challenges in terms of spelling and usage. He references an example from a previous issue of JAMA, where the acronym MEDEX is used to describe a program for converting military personnel into civilian physicians assistants. He also explores the ambiguity that arises when the acronym is used both adjectivally and as a noun, leading to confusion regarding singular or plural references. (Reprint 1974)