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A colour atlas of large animal surgery
Br. vet. 1 . (1986) . 142, 39 1
BOOK REVIEWS 1300K RE\
iE~v
Ein LOR .
Animals K. V . F. Jubb, P . C . Kennedy and N . Palmer . Orlando, San Diego, New York, London, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney and Tokyo : Academic Press . Vol . 1 574 pp, £65 . Vol . 2 582 pp, £65 . Vol . 3 527 pp, £59 . 3rd edn .
Pathology of Domestic
Since its first appearance in 1963 Jubb and Kennedy' has become a standard work of reference for veterinary diagnostic pathologists throughout the world . Some have had a love/hate relationship with the book; love because one was usually able to find enlightenment within its pages and hate because the search was often prolonged and sometimes bedevilled by distractions or difficult prose . The preface to the 2nd Edition (1969) stated : `More and more it is evident that the theme of pathology provides the central and connecting link in medical education and practice and the basis on which a multidisciplined structure can be supported' . We forget this at our peril . The updated and expanded 3rd Edition, appearing after a 16year interval, is an overdue reminder of the importance of anatomical pathology in an era when some rapidly expanding new technologies in pathology have shown a tendency to separate into independent disciplines . In the interval between the 2nd and 3rd Editions the growth in subject matter has been enormous and the task of assimilation into a coherent treatise has become a task too daunting even for men of the calibre of the original authors . This new Edition, expanded into three volumes, is the work of three main authors and 15 other contributors, all of whom bring the authority of special knowledge and experience to the task . Each volume contains five or six chapters, which vary in length from 14 to 239 pages . In each chapter the special pathology of an entire body system, or an organ or tissue of major importance is treated in depth . The general format of earlier editions has been retained but improved by further carefully
J.
M . Ru
TIER
considered subdivisions of the text . The text itself remains uncluttered by reference to original articles, but each chapter contains an extensive bibliography arranged by topic . The illustrations are numerous, well chosen and, with few exceptions, they are of high quality. Each volume contains a comprehensive index, that in Volume 3 being a cumulative index of the whole work . The printing and bindings are of similar high quality to earlier editions. In a work of this size and scope and with a multiplicity of contributors, some errors, omissions and unevenness in the quality of writing must be expected and, with diligence, can be found . Nevertheless, this 3rd Edition represents an epic collation of present knowledge of the subject of anatomical pathology . As a work of reference it is easier to use than the earlier editions and, though there is still some turgid prose, it will, in this reviewer's opinion, be more loved than hated. It is considered essential equipment for laboratories in which pathology is seriously taught and practised . R . M . BARLOW
A ColourAtlas of LargeAnimalSurgery
Edited by A . W . Kersjes, F. Nemeth and L . J . E . Rutgers . London : Wolfe Medical Publications Ltd . 1985 .143 pp. £50 . This impressive, beautifully produced colour atlas by senior clinicians at the Veterinary School in Utrecht illustrates and describes 103 surgical procedures in large animals varying from simple routine procedures, like disbudding, to more complex operations such as lag screwing of fractures of the equine navicular bone requiring hospital facilities and special equipment . The atlas is divided into seven chapters each devoted to a body region or system . Operations on the horse and ox comprise the bulk of the procedures described but the smaller ruminants and the pig are not neglected . With few
392
BRITISH VETERINARY JOURNAL, 142, 4
exceptions, one technique-the method favoured in Utrecht-is described for each operation . A series of four to eight photographs showing the essential steps in each procedure is accompanied by a short, concise explanatory text which also deals briefly with the indications . A list of 16 standard textbooks is included for further readings but no reference is made to original papers . The photographs are of uniformly excellent quality and their visual effect has been enhanced considerably by the care which has been taken to minimize blood in the operative field and on the surrounding drapes . For the most part the photographs, which are unlabelled, fulfil their purpose but surgeons attempting some of the more complicated procedures, such as laryngoplasty and repair of third degree perineal lacerations for the first time, would find them difficult to perform if relying solely on the text . Most of the common surgical procedures are included and British readers will be familiar with all but a few. Inevitably opinions will differ amongst clinicians on some points . Nine days starvation of a mare in preparation for a perineal reconstruction would appear grossly excessive and the inclusion of colpotomy (vaginal approach) for ovariectomy seems strange in view of the fact that granulosa cell tumours are currently the main indication for this operation . Transphyseal bridging using staples has now been largely superseded by hemicircumferential periosteal transection and periosteal stripping in the treatment of angular deformities in foals . However, these are minor criticisms which should not detract from the overall value of the book . Colour transparencies have long been an important aid to the teaching of surgery in the lecture theatre . This atlas brings together such material in the form of colour photographs whose quality is unlikely to be bettered . It is a useful addition to the growing list of publications dealing with surgical techniques, the majority of which are illustrated with line drawings . The relative merits of these two forms of illustration will doubtless be the subject of much discussion . Readers will find this an aesthetically pleasing book to consult for technical information but will need to refer to standard textbooks for information on diagnoses, differential diagnosis and the relative value of alternative surgical techniques . G . B . EDWARDS
Veterinary Law, Ethics, Etiquette and Convention
D . C . Blood . Sydney : The Law Book Company Ltd. 1985 . XVII plus 368 pp . A$29 .50. This book on Australian law for the veterinary surgeon must surely be a classic in its genre and a model for future authors in the field . More detailed and extensive than the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Legislation Affecting the Veterinary Profession in Great Britain or its American counterpart Veterinary Medicine and the Law by Soave and
Crawford, it is in effect the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Guide to Professional Conduct and the British Veterinary Association's Manual of Practice Management under one cover. Professor Blood covers more than pure veterinary and domestic animal law and deals also with the structure of the veterinary profession, private and state veterinary practice in Australia, together with allied matters such as professional etiquette, malpractice and client and staff relations . There are also chapters on veterinary education, practice management and the Australian Veterinary Association . The problem that each State in Australia has its own legislation is solved by giving in detail the law of Victoria, supplemented by comparative tables (particularly an Appendix of fold-out pages) for other States . At times comparisons with British and USA law are made and there are many references to relevant publications from these countries . There are some faults in this comprehensive book . Despite a chapter devoted to Basic Definitions, there is no discussion of the word `animal' which is vital in the interpretation and application of the law ; rarely do two statutes use the same definition . Further, there is a lack of information, apart from the titles of statutes, on the law and practice for those dealing with non-domesticated species . This is a popular subject amongst younger veterinary surgeons and surely there are some already established in this field in Australia? It is little wonder that the author is pessimistic about the future of the profession and overmanning when the keeping of non-domesticated species is dismissed in a paragraph, zoos and wildlife in a sentence, and there is no discussion of the role of the veterinarian in wildlife conservation and education . The two other dis-
BOOK REVIEWS 1300K RE\
iE~v
Ein LOR .
Animals K. V . F. Jubb, P . C . Kennedy and N . Palmer . Orlando, San Diego, New York, London, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney and Tokyo : Academic Press . Vol . 1 574 pp, £65 . Vol . 2 582 pp, £65 . Vol . 3 527 pp, £59 . 3rd edn .
Pathology of Domestic
Since its first appearance in 1963 Jubb and Kennedy' has become a standard work of reference for veterinary diagnostic pathologists throughout the world . Some have had a love/hate relationship with the book; love because one was usually able to find enlightenment within its pages and hate because the search was often prolonged and sometimes bedevilled by distractions or difficult prose . The preface to the 2nd Edition (1969) stated : `More and more it is evident that the theme of pathology provides the central and connecting link in medical education and practice and the basis on which a multidisciplined structure can be supported' . We forget this at our peril . The updated and expanded 3rd Edition, appearing after a 16year interval, is an overdue reminder of the importance of anatomical pathology in an era when some rapidly expanding new technologies in pathology have shown a tendency to separate into independent disciplines . In the interval between the 2nd and 3rd Editions the growth in subject matter has been enormous and the task of assimilation into a coherent treatise has become a task too daunting even for men of the calibre of the original authors . This new Edition, expanded into three volumes, is the work of three main authors and 15 other contributors, all of whom bring the authority of special knowledge and experience to the task . Each volume contains five or six chapters, which vary in length from 14 to 239 pages . In each chapter the special pathology of an entire body system, or an organ or tissue of major importance is treated in depth . The general format of earlier editions has been retained but improved by further carefully
J.
M . Ru
TIER
considered subdivisions of the text . The text itself remains uncluttered by reference to original articles, but each chapter contains an extensive bibliography arranged by topic . The illustrations are numerous, well chosen and, with few exceptions, they are of high quality. Each volume contains a comprehensive index, that in Volume 3 being a cumulative index of the whole work . The printing and bindings are of similar high quality to earlier editions. In a work of this size and scope and with a multiplicity of contributors, some errors, omissions and unevenness in the quality of writing must be expected and, with diligence, can be found . Nevertheless, this 3rd Edition represents an epic collation of present knowledge of the subject of anatomical pathology . As a work of reference it is easier to use than the earlier editions and, though there is still some turgid prose, it will, in this reviewer's opinion, be more loved than hated. It is considered essential equipment for laboratories in which pathology is seriously taught and practised . R . M . BARLOW
A ColourAtlas of LargeAnimalSurgery
Edited by A . W . Kersjes, F. Nemeth and L . J . E . Rutgers . London : Wolfe Medical Publications Ltd . 1985 .143 pp. £50 . This impressive, beautifully produced colour atlas by senior clinicians at the Veterinary School in Utrecht illustrates and describes 103 surgical procedures in large animals varying from simple routine procedures, like disbudding, to more complex operations such as lag screwing of fractures of the equine navicular bone requiring hospital facilities and special equipment . The atlas is divided into seven chapters each devoted to a body region or system . Operations on the horse and ox comprise the bulk of the procedures described but the smaller ruminants and the pig are not neglected . With few
392
BRITISH VETERINARY JOURNAL, 142, 4
exceptions, one technique-the method favoured in Utrecht-is described for each operation . A series of four to eight photographs showing the essential steps in each procedure is accompanied by a short, concise explanatory text which also deals briefly with the indications . A list of 16 standard textbooks is included for further readings but no reference is made to original papers . The photographs are of uniformly excellent quality and their visual effect has been enhanced considerably by the care which has been taken to minimize blood in the operative field and on the surrounding drapes . For the most part the photographs, which are unlabelled, fulfil their purpose but surgeons attempting some of the more complicated procedures, such as laryngoplasty and repair of third degree perineal lacerations for the first time, would find them difficult to perform if relying solely on the text . Most of the common surgical procedures are included and British readers will be familiar with all but a few. Inevitably opinions will differ amongst clinicians on some points . Nine days starvation of a mare in preparation for a perineal reconstruction would appear grossly excessive and the inclusion of colpotomy (vaginal approach) for ovariectomy seems strange in view of the fact that granulosa cell tumours are currently the main indication for this operation . Transphyseal bridging using staples has now been largely superseded by hemicircumferential periosteal transection and periosteal stripping in the treatment of angular deformities in foals . However, these are minor criticisms which should not detract from the overall value of the book . Colour transparencies have long been an important aid to the teaching of surgery in the lecture theatre . This atlas brings together such material in the form of colour photographs whose quality is unlikely to be bettered . It is a useful addition to the growing list of publications dealing with surgical techniques, the majority of which are illustrated with line drawings . The relative merits of these two forms of illustration will doubtless be the subject of much discussion . Readers will find this an aesthetically pleasing book to consult for technical information but will need to refer to standard textbooks for information on diagnoses, differential diagnosis and the relative value of alternative surgical techniques . G . B . EDWARDS
Veterinary Law, Ethics, Etiquette and Convention
D . C . Blood . Sydney : The Law Book Company Ltd. 1985 . XVII plus 368 pp . A$29 .50. This book on Australian law for the veterinary surgeon must surely be a classic in its genre and a model for future authors in the field . More detailed and extensive than the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Legislation Affecting the Veterinary Profession in Great Britain or its American counterpart Veterinary Medicine and the Law by Soave and
Crawford, it is in effect the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Guide to Professional Conduct and the British Veterinary Association's Manual of Practice Management under one cover. Professor Blood covers more than pure veterinary and domestic animal law and deals also with the structure of the veterinary profession, private and state veterinary practice in Australia, together with allied matters such as professional etiquette, malpractice and client and staff relations . There are also chapters on veterinary education, practice management and the Australian Veterinary Association . The problem that each State in Australia has its own legislation is solved by giving in detail the law of Victoria, supplemented by comparative tables (particularly an Appendix of fold-out pages) for other States . At times comparisons with British and USA law are made and there are many references to relevant publications from these countries . There are some faults in this comprehensive book . Despite a chapter devoted to Basic Definitions, there is no discussion of the word `animal' which is vital in the interpretation and application of the law ; rarely do two statutes use the same definition . Further, there is a lack of information, apart from the titles of statutes, on the law and practice for those dealing with non-domesticated species . This is a popular subject amongst younger veterinary surgeons and surely there are some already established in this field in Australia? It is little wonder that the author is pessimistic about the future of the profession and overmanning when the keeping of non-domesticated species is dismissed in a paragraph, zoos and wildlife in a sentence, and there is no discussion of the role of the veterinarian in wildlife conservation and education . The two other dis-