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Diseases of the heart and arteries
Book
reviews
LRHRBUCH DGR AU~KULTATION I~ND PERK~SSI~N. By Prof. Dr. Med. Klaus Holldack and Dr. Med. Curt Oehme, ed. 5, Stuttgart, 1964, Georg Thieme, 166 pages, 91 illustrations. The
book is profusely illustrated with phonograms taken on 2- to 6-channel recorders simultaneously with ECG or pulse tracings, but the emphasis is on the simple methods of auscultation, percussion, palpation, and inspection. This is, however, not a textbook on phonography or hemodynamics, although much detail is given, and some recent results of phonocardiographic research are incorporated. Even though auscultation (and percussion) of the thorax (pages 31114) comprises the major part of the book, examination of the head, neck, peripheral arteries, and abdomen is also included. Thus, in spite of the small volume of 147 pages of text, the content is quite comprehensive, although it is on an introductory level. In view of this condensa tion, the discussion of some topics (for instance, arrhythmias) is superficial, and the book would have gained by even a few references for those students who wish to go into more specific details. The presentation is excellent, both in regard to sequence of topics, style, and the large number of schematic diagrams, and is one of the best primers available. The necessity of a fifth edition, after the short interval of 2 years, and the translation into Italian and Spanish shows the popularity of this text in Europe.
DISEASES OF THE HEART AND ARTERIES. By William Evans, M.D., D.Sc., F.R.C.P. (Lond.), Hon.D.Sc. (Wales), Cardiac Department, London Hospital. Baltimore, 1964, Williams & Wilkins Co., 761 pages. Price $20.50. This is an excellent book for clinicians, not only internists and general practitioners, but cardiologists as well. Dr. Evans is one of the most prominent cardiologists today. He trained initially with Sir John Parkinson, one of the great cardiologists, and has reflected this influence to a large extent in this book. The book presents the bedside approach to cardiology, with emphasis on the simple and most effective bedside methods in diagnosis and treatment. Evans clearly indicates the need for developing a good patient-doctor relationship in history taking. The book is well illustrated and is clearly and electrocardiograms, concisely written. Many phlebograms, teleoroentgenograms, and simple diagrams are included. The bibliography is short and, of course, incomplete, but it does contain a listing of Dr. Evans’own papers, which constitute the background of knowledge and experience for this book. This is good, for the book reflects Dr. Evans’ own ideas and approaches to cardiology and makes readily available his bibliography.
723
There are a few errors in the book. One, for example, is found in Figure 28, on page 33, in which the QRS complexes in Leads II and III are oriented improperly. Lead II should be oriented along the Lead II axis, and Lead III along the Lead III axis of the equilateral triangle. Surely, anyone who knows Dr. Evans would expect great emphasis on CR leads; however, this does not reduce the usefulness of the book for those who prefer V leads or any other type of lead system, since their differences in clinical medicine are really not that important. His discussions of pathophysiologic phenomena in heart disease are certainly down to earth. Like this reviewer, he recognizes the need and importance of clarifying them, but he also realizes that from the clinician’s point of view much remains to be done, and that in the meantime the physician must administer aid to his patient in spite of this lack of knowledge. Furthermore, even when understood, treatment probably will remain the same. Therefore, the clinician needs to learn the methods of the care of the patient and employ them most effectively. For example, on page 581 in his discussion of the mechanism of congestive heart failure, he states so correctly, “Fortunately, however, the mechanism of heart failure need not concern us unduly, for the progress of events in the different heart lesions during failure is known and the exact manner in which they arise is of lesser importance, especially as many of its features are still not understood.” It is good to have this fine book, and clinical medicine will profit considerably from use of it.
THE CORONARY ARTERIES. ARTERIOGRAPHY, MICROANATOMY, AND PATHOCENESIS OF OBLITERATIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. By WiIliam F. M. Fulton, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. Springfield, Ill., 1964, Charles C Thomas, Publisher, 354 pages. Price $20.50. This is a well-written and nicely illustrated book. Included among the illustrations are many stereoscopic figures which can be viewed by means of a viewer provided in a pocket located inside the back cover. The stereoscopy is very good. The author described his method very well, so that others may effectively repeat his procedure. The details of the normal and abnormal circulation in the human heart are shown clearly in the figures. Among the subjects discussed in this monograph are the normal and abnormal coronary circulation, including anatomy as well as pathology, anastomoses, coronary abnormalities in ischemic heart disease, thrombosis and atherosclerosis, and canalization of thrombotic occlusions. This is a good book which should be of interest to teachers in medicine and cardiology, to investigators concerned with coronary artery
reviews
LRHRBUCH DGR AU~KULTATION I~ND PERK~SSI~N. By Prof. Dr. Med. Klaus Holldack and Dr. Med. Curt Oehme, ed. 5, Stuttgart, 1964, Georg Thieme, 166 pages, 91 illustrations. The
book is profusely illustrated with phonograms taken on 2- to 6-channel recorders simultaneously with ECG or pulse tracings, but the emphasis is on the simple methods of auscultation, percussion, palpation, and inspection. This is, however, not a textbook on phonography or hemodynamics, although much detail is given, and some recent results of phonocardiographic research are incorporated. Even though auscultation (and percussion) of the thorax (pages 31114) comprises the major part of the book, examination of the head, neck, peripheral arteries, and abdomen is also included. Thus, in spite of the small volume of 147 pages of text, the content is quite comprehensive, although it is on an introductory level. In view of this condensa tion, the discussion of some topics (for instance, arrhythmias) is superficial, and the book would have gained by even a few references for those students who wish to go into more specific details. The presentation is excellent, both in regard to sequence of topics, style, and the large number of schematic diagrams, and is one of the best primers available. The necessity of a fifth edition, after the short interval of 2 years, and the translation into Italian and Spanish shows the popularity of this text in Europe.
DISEASES OF THE HEART AND ARTERIES. By William Evans, M.D., D.Sc., F.R.C.P. (Lond.), Hon.D.Sc. (Wales), Cardiac Department, London Hospital. Baltimore, 1964, Williams & Wilkins Co., 761 pages. Price $20.50. This is an excellent book for clinicians, not only internists and general practitioners, but cardiologists as well. Dr. Evans is one of the most prominent cardiologists today. He trained initially with Sir John Parkinson, one of the great cardiologists, and has reflected this influence to a large extent in this book. The book presents the bedside approach to cardiology, with emphasis on the simple and most effective bedside methods in diagnosis and treatment. Evans clearly indicates the need for developing a good patient-doctor relationship in history taking. The book is well illustrated and is clearly and electrocardiograms, concisely written. Many phlebograms, teleoroentgenograms, and simple diagrams are included. The bibliography is short and, of course, incomplete, but it does contain a listing of Dr. Evans’own papers, which constitute the background of knowledge and experience for this book. This is good, for the book reflects Dr. Evans’ own ideas and approaches to cardiology and makes readily available his bibliography.
723
There are a few errors in the book. One, for example, is found in Figure 28, on page 33, in which the QRS complexes in Leads II and III are oriented improperly. Lead II should be oriented along the Lead II axis, and Lead III along the Lead III axis of the equilateral triangle. Surely, anyone who knows Dr. Evans would expect great emphasis on CR leads; however, this does not reduce the usefulness of the book for those who prefer V leads or any other type of lead system, since their differences in clinical medicine are really not that important. His discussions of pathophysiologic phenomena in heart disease are certainly down to earth. Like this reviewer, he recognizes the need and importance of clarifying them, but he also realizes that from the clinician’s point of view much remains to be done, and that in the meantime the physician must administer aid to his patient in spite of this lack of knowledge. Furthermore, even when understood, treatment probably will remain the same. Therefore, the clinician needs to learn the methods of the care of the patient and employ them most effectively. For example, on page 581 in his discussion of the mechanism of congestive heart failure, he states so correctly, “Fortunately, however, the mechanism of heart failure need not concern us unduly, for the progress of events in the different heart lesions during failure is known and the exact manner in which they arise is of lesser importance, especially as many of its features are still not understood.” It is good to have this fine book, and clinical medicine will profit considerably from use of it.
THE CORONARY ARTERIES. ARTERIOGRAPHY, MICROANATOMY, AND PATHOCENESIS OF OBLITERATIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. By WiIliam F. M. Fulton, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. Springfield, Ill., 1964, Charles C Thomas, Publisher, 354 pages. Price $20.50. This is a well-written and nicely illustrated book. Included among the illustrations are many stereoscopic figures which can be viewed by means of a viewer provided in a pocket located inside the back cover. The stereoscopy is very good. The author described his method very well, so that others may effectively repeat his procedure. The details of the normal and abnormal circulation in the human heart are shown clearly in the figures. Among the subjects discussed in this monograph are the normal and abnormal coronary circulation, including anatomy as well as pathology, anastomoses, coronary abnormalities in ischemic heart disease, thrombosis and atherosclerosis, and canalization of thrombotic occlusions. This is a good book which should be of interest to teachers in medicine and cardiology, to investigators concerned with coronary artery