In praise of the literary eponym-Henry V sign

Abstract

The use of eponyms in medicine is often discouraged. However, the literary eponym should be an exception as it is not linked with many of the difficulties associated with conventional eponyms and offers descriptive brevity and accuracy. Here, we illustrate the point with Henry V sign, which will be familiar to many who have cared for patients in the terminal stage of illness. © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of [the Association of Physicians].