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Forensische Medizin (3., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage des Lehrbuchs der gerichtlichen Medizin)
Forensic Science, 8 (1976) 281 - 282 0 Elsevier Sequoia S.A., T,ausanne -Printed
281 in the Netherlands
Book Reviews
Forensische Medizin (3., iiberarbeitete und erweiterte lichen Medizin), by Otto Prokop und Werner GShler. Berlin,
1975,
pp. 791,
345
illustrations,
185 tables,
Auflage des Lehrbuchs VEB
Verlag
price 123.~
der gericht-
Volk und Gesundheit,
DM.
Prokop’s large textbook of forensic medicine will be well-known to most forensic pathologists mastering the German language. The fact that a third revised edition has now appeared shows that it is being read and that there has obviously been some need for such a book. This is presumably due, inter alia, to the fact that the book (according to the preface of the first edition) is a textbook for students - to which I shall revert below. In his new preface Prokop admits that no longer can any one master the subject in all details alone, an3 therefore he -- just as Mueller - has allied himself with co-authors, above all Gohler who figures on the title page together with Prokop. However Prokop himself has written or been the coauthor of by far the greater part of the text, and thus the book is continually and justly to be regarded as Prokop’s work. This textbook covers so to speak all the aspects of forensic medicine and contains much detailed information, so that it can serve as a useful reference book to all of us. It is, however, inevitable that on perusal you notice a certain heterogeneity, even in the chief author’s own sections. Thus the section on asphyxia contains too much history and too many curiosa (particularly for a students’ textbook); but it is, of course, tempting for the author to share his enormous reading of which the text bears witness, with his readers. The heterogeneity also manifests itself in the sections on traffic accidents, battered children and narcotic deaths which, in fact, are important problems in the field of modern forensic medicine which have been to some extent neglected, whereas e.g. illegal abortions which in many countries and presumably also in the German Democratic Republic are becoming a matter of history are treated with a wealth of detail. The important topic of suicide is not dealt with separately, but is merely referred to under the various methods. All things considered, one does not feel during the study of the book that forensic medicine to-day is of high relevance to community medicine and not merely of criminolo-technical interest. The large section on poisoning will be useful to the less experienced and the more experienced reader as well, even though the comments on the methods could be brought more up to date (mention is not made of atomic absorption, and gas chromatography - one of the methods most in use today - is mentioned very sparsely). Certain inaccuracies have been inevitable in the great amount of information, and the measuring units employed are a mixture of new and old designations (in a modern textbook I think that the international SI system should be used).
The section on trace examinations contains some long-winded remarks on many, rarely used or even obsolete methods, whereas the revolution causc~l by the serum and enzyme group determinations is only mention4 briefly. Problems of disputed paternity are treated copiously in accordance with Prokop’s great knowledge of these subjects. The treatment of the various blood, serum and enzyme systems is very exhaustive, instructive and, on the whole, up to date, but a more detailed treatment of the different variant genes both for the reliability of the exclusions and for a positive diagnosis of would have been desirable. The section on the paternity, if possible, probability of paternity on the basis of the blood group result is very short. This section must, however, - for the forensic pathologist who is not daily concerned with these problems -- be characterized as most informative and valuable. The meticulous subject index increases the value of the book, but it is a drawback that the more than 3000 references in the main refer to German works - a problem often encountered. Summarizing, one must admit that Prokop/Giihler have created an impressive textbook, full of information and good surveys and nearly as up to date, as a book of this nature can be; somewhat heterogeneous in the presentation and a little narrow in the delimitation of the subject. The quesan tion is then: Which ruison d’e^tre has a book like this, which represents enormous amount of time, work and money? In the reviewer’s opinion it overshoots the mark considerably as a students’ textbook, but nonetheless does not cover fully the demands made to the Danish medical students at their final examination, where more knowledge of the legislation relevant to doctors and to the understanding of the position of forensic medicine in daily medical practice is required. For the specialist of the individual fields of forensic medicine the sections of the book are however, not profound enough and not satisfactorily brought up to date. For this category of readers monographs on the individual subjects would, no doubt, be preferable, e.g. publications of the where a group of specialists type “Modern Trends in Forensic Medicine”, bring our knowledge of the individual expanding fields up to date. As prospective readers remain the group of doctors who wish a wider information on forensic medicine than the students’ textbook has given without being specialists in the field, e.g. new assistants of an institute of forensic. medicine or medical health officers. Also lawyers and police officers will profit by consulting such a work. It is only a question of how many large different textbooks are needed to cover this demand. A single, international standard work which is often brought up to date would be the desideratum; but I guess this is wishful thinking for the present. As matters stand, I think that the new “Prokop” is a “must” for the libraries of institutes of forensic medicine and for other particularly interested institutions or persons. Jdrgrn
Voigt
281 in the Netherlands
Book Reviews
Forensische Medizin (3., iiberarbeitete und erweiterte lichen Medizin), by Otto Prokop und Werner GShler. Berlin,
1975,
pp. 791,
345
illustrations,
185 tables,
Auflage des Lehrbuchs VEB
Verlag
price 123.~
der gericht-
Volk und Gesundheit,
DM.
Prokop’s large textbook of forensic medicine will be well-known to most forensic pathologists mastering the German language. The fact that a third revised edition has now appeared shows that it is being read and that there has obviously been some need for such a book. This is presumably due, inter alia, to the fact that the book (according to the preface of the first edition) is a textbook for students - to which I shall revert below. In his new preface Prokop admits that no longer can any one master the subject in all details alone, an3 therefore he -- just as Mueller - has allied himself with co-authors, above all Gohler who figures on the title page together with Prokop. However Prokop himself has written or been the coauthor of by far the greater part of the text, and thus the book is continually and justly to be regarded as Prokop’s work. This textbook covers so to speak all the aspects of forensic medicine and contains much detailed information, so that it can serve as a useful reference book to all of us. It is, however, inevitable that on perusal you notice a certain heterogeneity, even in the chief author’s own sections. Thus the section on asphyxia contains too much history and too many curiosa (particularly for a students’ textbook); but it is, of course, tempting for the author to share his enormous reading of which the text bears witness, with his readers. The heterogeneity also manifests itself in the sections on traffic accidents, battered children and narcotic deaths which, in fact, are important problems in the field of modern forensic medicine which have been to some extent neglected, whereas e.g. illegal abortions which in many countries and presumably also in the German Democratic Republic are becoming a matter of history are treated with a wealth of detail. The important topic of suicide is not dealt with separately, but is merely referred to under the various methods. All things considered, one does not feel during the study of the book that forensic medicine to-day is of high relevance to community medicine and not merely of criminolo-technical interest. The large section on poisoning will be useful to the less experienced and the more experienced reader as well, even though the comments on the methods could be brought more up to date (mention is not made of atomic absorption, and gas chromatography - one of the methods most in use today - is mentioned very sparsely). Certain inaccuracies have been inevitable in the great amount of information, and the measuring units employed are a mixture of new and old designations (in a modern textbook I think that the international SI system should be used).
The section on trace examinations contains some long-winded remarks on many, rarely used or even obsolete methods, whereas the revolution causc~l by the serum and enzyme group determinations is only mention4 briefly. Problems of disputed paternity are treated copiously in accordance with Prokop’s great knowledge of these subjects. The treatment of the various blood, serum and enzyme systems is very exhaustive, instructive and, on the whole, up to date, but a more detailed treatment of the different variant genes both for the reliability of the exclusions and for a positive diagnosis of would have been desirable. The section on the paternity, if possible, probability of paternity on the basis of the blood group result is very short. This section must, however, - for the forensic pathologist who is not daily concerned with these problems -- be characterized as most informative and valuable. The meticulous subject index increases the value of the book, but it is a drawback that the more than 3000 references in the main refer to German works - a problem often encountered. Summarizing, one must admit that Prokop/Giihler have created an impressive textbook, full of information and good surveys and nearly as up to date, as a book of this nature can be; somewhat heterogeneous in the presentation and a little narrow in the delimitation of the subject. The quesan tion is then: Which ruison d’e^tre has a book like this, which represents enormous amount of time, work and money? In the reviewer’s opinion it overshoots the mark considerably as a students’ textbook, but nonetheless does not cover fully the demands made to the Danish medical students at their final examination, where more knowledge of the legislation relevant to doctors and to the understanding of the position of forensic medicine in daily medical practice is required. For the specialist of the individual fields of forensic medicine the sections of the book are however, not profound enough and not satisfactorily brought up to date. For this category of readers monographs on the individual subjects would, no doubt, be preferable, e.g. publications of the where a group of specialists type “Modern Trends in Forensic Medicine”, bring our knowledge of the individual expanding fields up to date. As prospective readers remain the group of doctors who wish a wider information on forensic medicine than the students’ textbook has given without being specialists in the field, e.g. new assistants of an institute of forensic. medicine or medical health officers. Also lawyers and police officers will profit by consulting such a work. It is only a question of how many large different textbooks are needed to cover this demand. A single, international standard work which is often brought up to date would be the desideratum; but I guess this is wishful thinking for the present. As matters stand, I think that the new “Prokop” is a “must” for the libraries of institutes of forensic medicine and for other particularly interested institutions or persons. Jdrgrn
Voigt