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Parasitology (Protozoology and Helminthology)
BOOK REVIEWS
83
for so important a clinical subject. It is doubtful whether the medical student will be much concerned with the bacteriology of water, milk and food. However, the authors have gone some way towards a new approach to medical microbiology, but one wishes that they had been more courageous.
K. F. Anderson Parasitology (Protozoology and Helminthology), K. D. CHATTERJEE. 7th Edition. 1969. Published by the author, Calcutta. 226 pp., 181 figs, many in colour. Price in Australia, not stated ; in India, Rs20.00.
The first edition of this book was published in 1957 and was a condensation of the author’s larger treatise ‘Human Parasites and Parasitic Diseases’. It was intended as a ready reference in parasitology, particularly for the medical student. It has been interesting to follow the evolution of this work to the present seventh edition. Not only has the size been maintained but it has become much more authoritative and there has been comparatively little increase in price. The inclusion of an additional 19 illustrations in this edition will ensure the reputation of Chatterjee as being, perhaps, the best illustrated book on medical parasitology. After an introductory chapter with definitions, the protozoa and helminths of medical importance are considered systematically. Diagnostic procedures and treatment of parasitic infections are included as appendixes. Unfortunately, this edition still contains a number of inaccurate or misleading statements. For example, trivalent antimony compounds are listed (p. 59) for the treatment of kala-azar although it is later, and correctly, stated (p. 214) that trivalent antimonials have been replaced by the pentavalents. Concerning the coccidial parasites of man (p. 67), Isospora belli is not distinguished from I. hominis. The latter, without reason, is said to . . ‘cause a debilitating diarrhoea in various domestic animals’. W u c k e r i a bancrofti is no longer endemic in northeastern Australia and Brugia malayi does not occur in New Guinea. Although reference is made to the recently elucidated syndrome of primary amoebicmeningoencephalitis, no mention is made of eosinophilicmeningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, or of human capillariasis in the Philippines. The section on diagnostic techniques is well done with the exception of that part devoted to egg counting. Here it is suggested that all flukes and female nematodes produce about 10,000 eggs daily. This is so of Necator americanus but not of Ascaris lumbricoides which produce some 200,000. The main disadvantage of this book, however, is that, with the exception of recently added data, there is no bibliography. This is disconcerting particularly in respect of diagnostic techniques and treatment and it is small comfort to the reader to be advised that certain observations were made by . ‘Schneider (1961)’. Despite these shortcomings, Chatterjee’s Parasitology, primarily because of its wealth of illustrations, is the best available introduction to medical parasitology. It should be of particular value to medical undergraduates, practitioners and pathologists in Australia where parasitic infections are being encountered more and more frequently.
.
..
B. MclMillan
83
for so important a clinical subject. It is doubtful whether the medical student will be much concerned with the bacteriology of water, milk and food. However, the authors have gone some way towards a new approach to medical microbiology, but one wishes that they had been more courageous.
K. F. Anderson Parasitology (Protozoology and Helminthology), K. D. CHATTERJEE. 7th Edition. 1969. Published by the author, Calcutta. 226 pp., 181 figs, many in colour. Price in Australia, not stated ; in India, Rs20.00.
The first edition of this book was published in 1957 and was a condensation of the author’s larger treatise ‘Human Parasites and Parasitic Diseases’. It was intended as a ready reference in parasitology, particularly for the medical student. It has been interesting to follow the evolution of this work to the present seventh edition. Not only has the size been maintained but it has become much more authoritative and there has been comparatively little increase in price. The inclusion of an additional 19 illustrations in this edition will ensure the reputation of Chatterjee as being, perhaps, the best illustrated book on medical parasitology. After an introductory chapter with definitions, the protozoa and helminths of medical importance are considered systematically. Diagnostic procedures and treatment of parasitic infections are included as appendixes. Unfortunately, this edition still contains a number of inaccurate or misleading statements. For example, trivalent antimony compounds are listed (p. 59) for the treatment of kala-azar although it is later, and correctly, stated (p. 214) that trivalent antimonials have been replaced by the pentavalents. Concerning the coccidial parasites of man (p. 67), Isospora belli is not distinguished from I. hominis. The latter, without reason, is said to . . ‘cause a debilitating diarrhoea in various domestic animals’. W u c k e r i a bancrofti is no longer endemic in northeastern Australia and Brugia malayi does not occur in New Guinea. Although reference is made to the recently elucidated syndrome of primary amoebicmeningoencephalitis, no mention is made of eosinophilicmeningitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, or of human capillariasis in the Philippines. The section on diagnostic techniques is well done with the exception of that part devoted to egg counting. Here it is suggested that all flukes and female nematodes produce about 10,000 eggs daily. This is so of Necator americanus but not of Ascaris lumbricoides which produce some 200,000. The main disadvantage of this book, however, is that, with the exception of recently added data, there is no bibliography. This is disconcerting particularly in respect of diagnostic techniques and treatment and it is small comfort to the reader to be advised that certain observations were made by . ‘Schneider (1961)’. Despite these shortcomings, Chatterjee’s Parasitology, primarily because of its wealth of illustrations, is the best available introduction to medical parasitology. It should be of particular value to medical undergraduates, practitioners and pathologists in Australia where parasitic infections are being encountered more and more frequently.
.
..
B. MclMillan