- Email: [email protected]
Laennec: His life and times
376
BOOK
J. Chron. September,
REVIEWS
Dis. 1961
MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ISRAEL. Edited by Moshe Prywes. The Hebrew IJniversity of Jerusalem and Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Distributed by Grune & Stratton, Inc., New York. Pp. 562, indexed. Price $8.00. This review by Israeli scientists is an inventory of the progress of research in biology and medicine during the first ten years of their nation. Although faced with many urgent problems that demanded applied research, an early decision was made to foster basic research alongside its more practical counterpart. The various chapters run a gamut of subjects in varied fields of biology and medicine. The subjects are often introduced by a historical background, sometimes traced to antiquity. The medical subjects are frequently influenced by the genetic and sociologic factors of a recent influx of population. The immigration has varied from the surviving Ashkenazi Jews of Central Europe to the ancient, highly inbred communities of Iraqui Jews. This has afforded opportunities for genetic research in such inherited traits as thalassemia, favism, and periodic disease. In its whole, this volume presents an impressive panorama of vigorous activity in the establishment of science on a broad base by a new nation. Many valuable contributions ha\-e already been made. An insight is afforded into the factors in planning the establishment of educational and research institutions. The reader may be led into drawing an analogy to the many new nations of Africa and Asia. The analogy is a difficult one, for Israel started off with the rudiments of education, science, and trained individuals. The other nations are beginning from a much lower base line. The editors state in the preface: “Our objectives will be well served if others, with problems similar to our own, may benefit from a description of Israel’s efforts to apply scientific methods to the solution of its problems.” Albert Schilling LAENNEC: HIS LIFE AND by D. C. Abraham+Curiel. Price $3.50.
TIMES. By Roger Kervran, New York, 1960, Pergamon
M.D. Translated from the French Press, Ltd. Pp. 213, not indexed.
Why can’t most medical historians write better? It is true that Laennec’s life was perhaps less exciting than might be desired by an aspiring novelist with one eye on movie rights-yet he lived in exciting times and his scientific career and personal life were certainly not without drama and tragedy. Dr. Kervran has, unfortunately, not written a book to be read with enjoyment by most physicians. He has apparently scrutinized all sorts of authentic historical documents and Laenneciana, but the resulting book lacks both momentum and cohesion, defects probably not attributable to inadequate translation. One more complaint: Was it just bad judgment or the ultimate in philological snobbery to reproduce, without translation, verse in Breton diulecl? Latin and French are bad enough* for most of us, but how many readers possess a smattering of French provincial dialects? (Or couldn’t the translator figure it out either?) Louis Lasagna *O. K.. impossible. CONCEPTS OF MEDICINE. Edited by Brandon Pergamon Press, Ltd. Pp. 286. Price $8.50.
Lush,
M.D.,
M.R.C.P.
New York,
1961,
An interesting collection of essays by some distinguished British and American men of medicine has been put together by a Senior Medical Officer of the British Medical Research Council. Almost all the pieces concern the art or science of medicine in its broadest aspects. Most are by Britishers and reprinted from English periodicals (especially the Lancet). Dr. Lush obviously has some favorites: Out of a total of 26, Himsworth and Pickering have 4 papers each and Platt has 2. For this reviewer, the most stimulating essays were by Platt, Ryle, and Green, but all except a few seem well chosen. Here are a few excerpts: “I doubt if any professor of medicine should be more than fifty-five.”
BOOK
J. Chron. September,
REVIEWS
Dis. 1961
MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ISRAEL. Edited by Moshe Prywes. The Hebrew IJniversity of Jerusalem and Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Distributed by Grune & Stratton, Inc., New York. Pp. 562, indexed. Price $8.00. This review by Israeli scientists is an inventory of the progress of research in biology and medicine during the first ten years of their nation. Although faced with many urgent problems that demanded applied research, an early decision was made to foster basic research alongside its more practical counterpart. The various chapters run a gamut of subjects in varied fields of biology and medicine. The subjects are often introduced by a historical background, sometimes traced to antiquity. The medical subjects are frequently influenced by the genetic and sociologic factors of a recent influx of population. The immigration has varied from the surviving Ashkenazi Jews of Central Europe to the ancient, highly inbred communities of Iraqui Jews. This has afforded opportunities for genetic research in such inherited traits as thalassemia, favism, and periodic disease. In its whole, this volume presents an impressive panorama of vigorous activity in the establishment of science on a broad base by a new nation. Many valuable contributions ha\-e already been made. An insight is afforded into the factors in planning the establishment of educational and research institutions. The reader may be led into drawing an analogy to the many new nations of Africa and Asia. The analogy is a difficult one, for Israel started off with the rudiments of education, science, and trained individuals. The other nations are beginning from a much lower base line. The editors state in the preface: “Our objectives will be well served if others, with problems similar to our own, may benefit from a description of Israel’s efforts to apply scientific methods to the solution of its problems.” Albert Schilling LAENNEC: HIS LIFE AND by D. C. Abraham+Curiel. Price $3.50.
TIMES. By Roger Kervran, New York, 1960, Pergamon
M.D. Translated from the French Press, Ltd. Pp. 213, not indexed.
Why can’t most medical historians write better? It is true that Laennec’s life was perhaps less exciting than might be desired by an aspiring novelist with one eye on movie rights-yet he lived in exciting times and his scientific career and personal life were certainly not without drama and tragedy. Dr. Kervran has, unfortunately, not written a book to be read with enjoyment by most physicians. He has apparently scrutinized all sorts of authentic historical documents and Laenneciana, but the resulting book lacks both momentum and cohesion, defects probably not attributable to inadequate translation. One more complaint: Was it just bad judgment or the ultimate in philological snobbery to reproduce, without translation, verse in Breton diulecl? Latin and French are bad enough* for most of us, but how many readers possess a smattering of French provincial dialects? (Or couldn’t the translator figure it out either?) Louis Lasagna *O. K.. impossible. CONCEPTS OF MEDICINE. Edited by Brandon Pergamon Press, Ltd. Pp. 286. Price $8.50.
Lush,
M.D.,
M.R.C.P.
New York,
1961,
An interesting collection of essays by some distinguished British and American men of medicine has been put together by a Senior Medical Officer of the British Medical Research Council. Almost all the pieces concern the art or science of medicine in its broadest aspects. Most are by Britishers and reprinted from English periodicals (especially the Lancet). Dr. Lush obviously has some favorites: Out of a total of 26, Himsworth and Pickering have 4 papers each and Platt has 2. For this reviewer, the most stimulating essays were by Platt, Ryle, and Green, but all except a few seem well chosen. Here are a few excerpts: “I doubt if any professor of medicine should be more than fifty-five.”