Obstetrics and Gynaecology

1064

AMERICAN ,JOURKAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYKECOLOGY

Lying-In Hospital am appendt•d alHI tht> hook is ·~ompleted wlt.h a hrit>f diseuBsion of the relationship of Yital statistics to oh~tetric and gynecologic praetice, with some definitions and a presentation of the cnrliug of puerperal deaths agreed upon for the present <1eea.de at a rerent mreting of the International Commission on Causes of Death. The two volumes represent a thoughtful consideration an
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10G!l

the general practitioner as well. If any rriticism conltl he offered it would lw that the discussion of gynecologic operations was excet'dingly brief. This. however, is explained in the attitude of the authors that Rurgieal tee.hnique in tht> treatment of women cannot be based on book reading lmt reqnirt>s a long elinieal apprt>nti~e­ ship. -Philip F. WiJliams. Bxhaustion of the first edition within. a relatively short time offerc>•l Bt>rk th<' opportunity to thoroughly nwise his excellent Obstetric-al Pmctic,e,7 partirularly hv tht> arldition of much new material, e.g., a new rhapter on retainerl awl ar1herent placenta. There are two features which clearly rlistinguish this volumP from ~imi­ lar tPxts, namely the large number of instructi~e, mostly diahrrammatic illustrations, ana the inelusion of an unusual amount o:f' detrl.il ini'ormation, Rurh as average pereentagP saturation with oxygen of blood eoming from the uterus; maternal plaeental blood pressure; differences in bloorl constitution of mothPr and fetus; nitrogen anil calcium storage, etc. 'l'he discussion of adequate food supply cluring pregnaney includes two and one-half pages of table~ giving protf'in, carbohydratE', fat, calcium, iron and vitamin contents and caloric value~ of all the usual foorl ~tuffs. A wealth of details ean be fonni:l in the two ehapters ileYOtP•l to eontra('rf'd pelve~.

The inllex is inadequate. No referenee can he found in it to umlue prolongation of pregnancy, the overcarried infant, induction of labor, epiRiotomy, birth injuriE>s, Pft>. Obviously this is but a minor shortcoming which roulrest in the preservation of :fetal am1 nponatal life, this book Fetal ama NN>natal DeathS hy Potter an<1 Allah· ill timely. Those who are interested in attPmpting to salvage what is pos~ihle of thP potential population loss will find much to aid tlwm in their efforts. The subject matter is ilivideil into five ehapters: The first rhaptE>r present:'< a Htatistical resume of the present loss of life hy stillbirths an•l neonatal \leaths, followed by the physical characteristics of the normal fetus and infant. The technique of tl1e fact finding by post-mortem examination is quite detailed. It is to be hoped that many hospital pathologists may note this section. TherE' i~ an E'Xcellent discussion of anoxemia as a c.ause of deatlt. "Cnrler speeial pathology, the specific lesion~> of the various organs and !lystems are •1iscusserl in relation to the manner in whi<"h they may cause fetal aml neonatal deaths. It is to he hoped that this book may become a working manual in Pvery materuity hospital and that the general hospital pathologist may inform himHelf from it aR to the exacting teehnique necessary in determining at a.ntopsy the Pau~e of (]Path in the fetal or neonatal period. Leon's Radiology in Obstetric-89 was a pre&ntation offieially designated as the subject in ]939 before the Buenos Aires Obstetrie and Gynecologic Society. It ifl a pamphlet of but eighty-seven pages, faultlessly gotten np, with exeell<>nt reproductions of x-ray plates. The subjects cover practically every phase briefly hut dearly. The use of x-ray for the pregnant mother in order to determine the kidney arul intestinal conditions, fetal conditions from the fourth month, cletermination of presentation, multiple pregnaney, monsters, intrauterine death and extrauterine pregnancy are all discussed. The amount of information t•ontainetl in sui'lt short compass is amazing. ---R. T. Prank. 7 0bstetrical Practice. By ~lfred C. Beck, Professor of Obst-etrics and Gynf;cology, Long Island College of MediCme, Brooklyn, etc. Second edition 858 pag-es l!J4:l illustrations. Williams & Wilkins Company, Baltimore. 1939. ' - ' •Fetal and Neonatal Death. By Edith L. Potter, M.D., and Fre