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Clinical Endocrinology for Surgeons. By Montgomery D. A. D. and Welbourn R. B. Published by Edward Arnold Ltd., London. Pp. 567+vii; indexed; illustrated; 1963. Price 80s.
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BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA Each of us is aware that age carries with it only too often the disadvantage of resistance to new ideas and conceptions. In no branch of human activity is this more true than in medicine. Nevertheless, a few anaesthetists have done distinguished work with the pioneer respiratory units, and present signs suggest that a great many more anaesthetists will find themselves called upon frequently to take an increasingly important part in intensive care. In many parts of the world expensive anaesthetic and monitoring apparatus lies idle for want of trained staff. In the development of this great work it is to be hoped that instrumentation will be subservient to a thorough grounding in the special problems—that electronic enthusiasm will be recognized as no substitute for constant supervision by persons who have devoted, disciplined and tutored minds.
BOOK REVIEWS Clinical Endocrinology for Surgeons. By D. A. D. Montgomery and R. B. Welbourn. Published by Edward Arnold Ltd., London. Pp. 567+viii; indexed; illustrated; 1963. Price 80j. The anaesthetist will find this an excellent textbook for reference purposes when he wants to learn a bit more about endocrine disease than his own literature gives him. The authors, a physician and a surgeon, are known for their interest in and knowledge of this field of medicine, and also for their ability to write clearly and teach effectively. It is a pleasure to go through this book for, although the material is set out in characteristically orderly textbook fashion, the text is never so concise as to be unreadable or so heavily tabulated as to be dull. Such statements as there are about anaesthesia are reasonable and reflect presentday anaesthetic practice; that they are brief and necessarily superficial is understandable for this is a textbook intended for surgeons rather than anaesthetists. The standard of production is high; the index is good and so are the illustrations. The endocrine field is a rapidly developing one, but it will be some years before this book will cease to be valuable on that account. Till then it is recommended as a very good reference source book for medical libraries, anaesthetic depart-
ments, and for anaesthetists interested in the field of endocrine medicine. W. W. Mushin Electrocardiograph-? for the Anaesthetist. By W. N. Rollason, with a foreword by Professor W. W. Mushin. Published by Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. Pp. 124; 92 illustrations. Price 30J. As the title indicates, this monograph is written by an anaesthetist for anaesthetists anxious to acquire the rudiments of the subject. The general features of the electrocardiogram in health and disease are discussed in the first three chapters and are well illustrated in the conventional manner. The fourth chapter deals mainly with the electrocardiographic effects of the various drugs used for or with anaesthesia and is remarkably free from illustrations of the cardiac reactions likely to be seen by anaesthetists. The remainder of the book is an account of the electrocardiographic changes associated with electrolyte imbalance, major and minor surgery, blood transfusion, induced hypotension, hypothermia and artefact, concluding with a brief description and pictures of the author's preferred equipment with its uses and limitations. The lack of factual and illustrative detail in parts of the text is to some extent offset by a liberal supply of references. Michael Johnstone
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Sussex on August 24, 2015
All this, of course, costs money and it is clear that there is great scope for improvisation and modification of existing faculties, bearing in mind the lessons learned by the experience of others earlier in the field. It is always the case, however, that much good can be done in difficult circumstances by those who believe in the importance of the application of anaesthetic principles to patients requiring intensive medical treatment. It is also clear that it is insufficient to engage in this type of work simply with a fund of goodwill, but with little understanding of the complicated consequences of prolonged intensive care. It is for this reason that this Journal has been very glad to publish original articles on topics such as the measurement of blood gases, medical electronics, and the therapeutic aspects of the use of muscle relaxants.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA Each of us is aware that age carries with it only too often the disadvantage of resistance to new ideas and conceptions. In no branch of human activity is this more true than in medicine. Nevertheless, a few anaesthetists have done distinguished work with the pioneer respiratory units, and present signs suggest that a great many more anaesthetists will find themselves called upon frequently to take an increasingly important part in intensive care. In many parts of the world expensive anaesthetic and monitoring apparatus lies idle for want of trained staff. In the development of this great work it is to be hoped that instrumentation will be subservient to a thorough grounding in the special problems—that electronic enthusiasm will be recognized as no substitute for constant supervision by persons who have devoted, disciplined and tutored minds.
BOOK REVIEWS Clinical Endocrinology for Surgeons. By D. A. D. Montgomery and R. B. Welbourn. Published by Edward Arnold Ltd., London. Pp. 567+viii; indexed; illustrated; 1963. Price 80j. The anaesthetist will find this an excellent textbook for reference purposes when he wants to learn a bit more about endocrine disease than his own literature gives him. The authors, a physician and a surgeon, are known for their interest in and knowledge of this field of medicine, and also for their ability to write clearly and teach effectively. It is a pleasure to go through this book for, although the material is set out in characteristically orderly textbook fashion, the text is never so concise as to be unreadable or so heavily tabulated as to be dull. Such statements as there are about anaesthesia are reasonable and reflect presentday anaesthetic practice; that they are brief and necessarily superficial is understandable for this is a textbook intended for surgeons rather than anaesthetists. The standard of production is high; the index is good and so are the illustrations. The endocrine field is a rapidly developing one, but it will be some years before this book will cease to be valuable on that account. Till then it is recommended as a very good reference source book for medical libraries, anaesthetic depart-
ments, and for anaesthetists interested in the field of endocrine medicine. W. W. Mushin Electrocardiograph-? for the Anaesthetist. By W. N. Rollason, with a foreword by Professor W. W. Mushin. Published by Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. Pp. 124; 92 illustrations. Price 30J. As the title indicates, this monograph is written by an anaesthetist for anaesthetists anxious to acquire the rudiments of the subject. The general features of the electrocardiogram in health and disease are discussed in the first three chapters and are well illustrated in the conventional manner. The fourth chapter deals mainly with the electrocardiographic effects of the various drugs used for or with anaesthesia and is remarkably free from illustrations of the cardiac reactions likely to be seen by anaesthetists. The remainder of the book is an account of the electrocardiographic changes associated with electrolyte imbalance, major and minor surgery, blood transfusion, induced hypotension, hypothermia and artefact, concluding with a brief description and pictures of the author's preferred equipment with its uses and limitations. The lack of factual and illustrative detail in parts of the text is to some extent offset by a liberal supply of references. Michael Johnstone
Downloaded from http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Sussex on August 24, 2015
All this, of course, costs money and it is clear that there is great scope for improvisation and modification of existing faculties, bearing in mind the lessons learned by the experience of others earlier in the field. It is always the case, however, that much good can be done in difficult circumstances by those who believe in the importance of the application of anaesthetic principles to patients requiring intensive medical treatment. It is also clear that it is insufficient to engage in this type of work simply with a fund of goodwill, but with little understanding of the complicated consequences of prolonged intensive care. It is for this reason that this Journal has been very glad to publish original articles on topics such as the measurement of blood gases, medical electronics, and the therapeutic aspects of the use of muscle relaxants.