The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal.
The Lancet was founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley, an English surgeon.
The word "lancet", itself, refers to two things: a surgical knife, and the architectural term "lancet arch" — a window with a sharp pointed arch (this might allude to the "light of wisdom" or "to let in light").
The Lancet publishes original medical research articles, review articles ("seminars" and "reviews"), editorials, book reviews, correspondence, news features, case reports, and occasional obituaries.
The Lancet journal has editorial offices in London, New York, and Beijing. It has been owned and published by Elsevier since 1991.