ROOK
REVIEWS
Atlas of Descriptive Human Anatomy. By J. Sobotta, M.D., edited and transIated by Eduard Uhlenhuth, M.D. Volume III, fifth EngIish edition translated from the twelfth German edition; volumes I and II, sixth English edition translated from the twelfth German edition. New York, 1954. Hafner Publishing Company, Inc. Price $40.00.
consuming to search for pictures of arteries, veins, nerves and muscles of a given region in different volumes or in different parts of a volume. This Atlas, of course, is stiff arranged by systems in the text. Dr. Uhfenhuth has produced an excellent translation of this Atlas. The text is clear, precise and quite readable. For the most part, if a medical student during his course in anatomy reads no more than the text provided with the illustrations in this work, he will have acquired a sufficient knowledge of anatomy to pursue his further medical career. One feature which some persons may consider a drawback of this Atlas is the fact that all of the terminology is in the original Latin form of the J. N. A. (Jena nomina anatomica). This terminology was adopted by the German Anatomical Socletv in 1935 at a meeting in Jena, Germany. It was a revision of the B. N. A. (Base1 nomina anatomica) adopted in 1895 at Basel, Switzerland, which has been the leading anatomic terminology for the past sixty years. In the United Kingdom and Canada the terminology in use for the past twent,y years has been the B. R. (British Revision of the B. N. A.), and in the United States many anatomists have used an Anglicized version of the B. N. A. In this country the J. N. A. has not received the same acceptance as the B. R. and the Anglicized B. N. A. In order to help the modern medical student who nowadays is not familiar with Latin or Greek, each volume has a chapter at the beginning on the etymology and meaning of anatomic names. These chapters shoufd be most helpful. The most convenient form is to be found in Volume II where a11 the terms used in this volume are fisted alphabetically. In Volumes I and III the terms are arranged by systems. Since the Anglicized version of the B. N. A. in common use in the United States is for the most part merely a transfiteration of terms rather than a thorough translation, the student should have no great difficufty in the use of the Atlas if he spends a smalf amount of time glancing through the chapters on etymology and meaning of terms.
The first German edition of this excellent anatomic atlas was published in 1904. The first edition in Engfish was translated and edited by J. Pfayfair McMurrich, and appeared in 1906 and 1907. During the past fifty years the German version has gone through twelve editions, Dr. Sobotta improving the Atlases up to 1943. For the past half century Sobotta’s Atlas in froth the German and English editions has been one ol‘ the most popular anatomic atfases in Its unavailability during World America. War II was keenfy felt by both medical students and teachers. This new translation is therefore most welcome. Dr. Uhfenhuth, the present translator and editor, has made no major changes from the fast German edition, believing that the real value of’ a classic may be destroyed by the treatment it receives in the hands of subsequent editors. A work may be so changed in an attempt to modernize it that it would lose the original ffavor entirely and no longer deserve to carry the name of the original author. One important reason for the popularity of the Atlas was Sobotta’s original decision to prepare a book in which arteries, veins and nerves of the same layer were illustrated together. Other atlases of the same period iffustrated arteries, veins and nerves of the same plates. Putting arteries, region in separate veins and nerves as we11 as muscles or viscera into one illustration necessitated much more expensive color plates, but these plates have afways been the favorite of students of anatomy. Since the hours devoted to the teaching of gross anatomy have been sharpfy reduced throughout the United States, and since dissections must be carried out regionally, the student will find Sobotta’s Atfas of great hefp to him inasmuch as the structures of different systems appear in the same illustrations. It is most time‘59
American
.lournal
oj Surgery,
Volume 00, .iuly.
I~SE
Book Reviews eight new chapters and approximateIy $00 new illustrations. Emphasis is placed on surgical diagnosis and treatment, and all current advances in general surgery and specialties are included. From every viewpoint this is a much above-the-average work that deserves wide distribution.
Volume I covers the regions of the body, the skeleton, ligaments, joints and muscles. Since medical students, however, usually study the hard parts separately, the skeleton by itself, and the ligaments and joints after stripping off more superficial structures, Volume r represents an advantage rather than a handicap. VoIume II deals with the digestive, respiratory, urogenital and vascular systems, including a number of plates on the heart. Volume III deals with further plates on blood vessels, including the coronary circulation, the nervous system, sense organs, integument and lymphatics. Volume I contains 180 color and 183 black and white illustrations on full-page plates, and 43 additional partly colored figures in the text. Volume II contains I IO coIor and 102 black and white illustrations on full-page plates, and 31 additional partly coIored figures in the text. VoIume III contains 146 color and 142 black and white illustrations on full-page plates, and 67 additiona partly colored figures in the text. This makes a total of 1,022 ilIustrations, of which 444 are in full color and 141 text figures which have one added color. These ilIustrations provide a full coverage of the essentials of gross anatomy. With the rather complete text provided, a student could get along quite well in his gross anatomy course using onIy this Atlas, provided that he acquires from other sources some knowIedge of anatomic principles. The value which this Atlas has over the usual textbook is that it never becomes out of date. The value of the illustrations wil1 not diminish and it is one of the few books which the medical student will want to keep, for its usefulness to him in his subsequent career will remain, no matter in what field of medicine he may concentrate his efforts. NORMAND
L.
HOERR,
Surgery of Repair As Applied to Hand Injuries. By B. K. Rank, M.S. (Melbourne) and A. R. Wakefield, MS. (MeIbourne), with a Foreword by Sir Gordon Gordon-TayIor, K.B.E., C.B., LL.D., SC.D., 256 pages, 184 figures. Edinburgh and London, 1953. E. & S. Livingstone Ltd. (BaItimore, WiIIiams 81 WiIkins Co.) Price $8.00. This outstanding book is by two distinguished Australian surgeons. Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor, in the Foreword, informs us that “ . . . the authors have derived much of their inspiration and received training from surgeons like Gillies, McIndoe, Kilner and Rainsford Mawlem. It may therefore be reckoned a British Empire work, embodying al1 that has made British reparative surgery famous throughout the world as well as the special experience which has come the authors’ way.” Injuries to the hand constitute a special problem for the majority of general surgeons. SpecialIy trained surgeons in this field are in the minority. The authors have written a book on surgery of hand injuries under present-day conditions. We are informed that “The work is meant primarily for the discriminative interest of those who see and treat hand injuries.” The book is based on a wide practical experience covering the past ten years. The authors have had an opportunity to see and study this work in Britain and America. Briefly, the contents covered are: part I, socia1 significance of hand injuries, surgical anatomy, organization in relation to hand injuries, examination and appraisaI of a recently injured hand; part 2, primary treatment; part 3, intermediate treatment; part 4, secondary treatment of hand injuries (general considerations, scar disabilities, secondary repair of deep structures, unsatisfactory amputation stumps and eIective re-amputations, reconstructive procedures for mutilating injuries); part 5, special aspects of hand injury. The illustrations are excellent, some in color. Most scientific writing is written in a dull, colorless style. Now and then one reads a book or an article that has an engaging and ffowing
M.D.
Babcock’s Principles and Practice of Surgery. Edited by Karl C. Jonas, M.D., MS. (Surg.). Second edition, IO colored pIates. I ,563 pages, 1,006 illustrations, PhiIadeIphia, 1954. Lea & Febiger. Price fr8.00.
This edition covers the field of surgery in its many aspects. It is a highly authoritative onevolume work. The text has been written by fifty-six active teachers of surgery writing under the editorial guidance of Dr. Jonas, for many years an associate of Dr. Babcock. The sequence of presentation has been changed in this edition; the textmatter has been revised, rewritten and brought up-to-date. The book has been enlarged by more than 200 pages, with 160