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Primer of dermatopathology
Volume I 1 Number 4, Part 1 October, 1984 almost no science. Dr. Behl in contrast has jammed a great deal of information into his work. He is very cost-conscious, continually emphasizing economical ways to treat large numbers of people. A drug salesman would have little luck pushing two-ounce tubes to Dr. Behl, I suspect. Two recurrent themes of his approach to disease are: tender loving care and do not overlook the simple nonmedical measures. Who could disagree that American dermatologists have drifted away from these useful concepts? Another strength of this text is its attention to some diseases that are far more troublesome in India than here. I learned a great deal about vitiligo from Dr. Beal. I may never use intramuscular copper chloride or bael fruit in treating this perplexing problem, but it was fun to read about them. The discussions of leprosy, parasitic diseases, and other cutaneous infections were similarly enriching. Despite its attractive price, this book surely cannot be recommended to American physicians starting to study dermatology. The treatments are too unusual, do not relate to standard American products, and might be misleading. Sadly, the pictures are not good enough to compare with even the less stellar efforts here. However, I strongly urge my colleagues to at least glance through this remarkable book. I suspect that they, just as I, wii1 have an increasing respect for Dr. Behl and his efforts in India and will learn a few tricks for their practice in America.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D., Albuquerque, NM Progress in diseases of the skin, vol 1 Raul Fleischmajer, M.D., editor, New York, 1984, Grune & Stratton Inc. 274 pages. $49.50. I groaned inwardly when asked to review yet another compilation of review articles. As I have mentioned previously, I think the market for such products is so sated that both the reader and the author are punished. One hardly ever sees a unique review article, and I suspect the financial rewards have been well diluted. Despite these cautions, I found myself enjoying volume 2 of Dr. Fleischmajer's efforts very much indeed. Progress in Diseases of the Skin does have some attractive features that set it apart from the
Book reviews
691
competition. First and foremost, it shows evidence of imaginative editing. Dr. Fleischmajer has struck a nice balance between dermatologists and nondermatologists, as well as between clinicians and researchers. All thirteen chapters are similar, twenty to thirty pages in length with sparse illustrations and eighty to one hundred references; somehow Dr. Fleishmajer's contributors followed instructions. Complementing the editorial excellence are the efforts of Grune & Stratton. The paper is opaque; the layout, spacious; the type, readable; and the cover, cloth. This volume both looks and feels like a sturdy, traditional book. But, of course, superficial appearances are not the way to judge a book. Rather, we must consider the contents. The articles are far-ranging and highly informative, although somewhat more oriented to basic science aspects of dermatology than those in competing tomes. Topics such as stratum corneum lipids, immunology of skin cancer, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair deficiencies, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity give a representative sampling. As might be expected, two articles deal with mechanisms of sclerosis, while a third considers the regulation of skin collagenase. Therapeutic articles include discussions of acyclovir, ketoconazole, and chemotherapy o f cutaneous lymphomas. Itis pointless to quibble over any given article and its content. On the whole, I learned a great deal by reading this book. On occasion I thought I had picked up a Journal of Investigative Dermatology by mistake, but, for the most part, each contributor tried to make his or her obvious basic science expertise clinically relevant. I rate Dr. Fleisehmajer's effort a peg above that of his competitors. In fact, I even ordered volume 1 and look forward to reading it.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D., Albuquerque, NM P r i m e r of dermatopathology Antoinette F. Hood, M.D., Theodore H. Kwan, M.D., Daniel C. Burnes, M.D., and Martin C. Mihm, Jr., M.D., Boston, 1984, Little, Brown & Co. 350 pages. $38.50.
Primer of Dermatopathology is a helpful handbook that should be of particular interest to medical students, dermatology residents, pathology
692
Book reviews
residents, and other newcomers to dermatopathology. The book has been published in a soft-cover, economical format and is telegraphic in its presentation. The mixture of black and white photomicrographs and drawings serves well to illustrate pathologic processes. The presentation is unencumbered by text. Headings in some cases reflect histologic observations that are followed by listed disease processes that exhibit the histologic pattern, such as lymphohistiocytic infiltrate. Beneath this are listed eight diagnoses in which lymphohistiocytic infiltrates are found and beneath these diagnoses are listed ten numbered histologic alterations that are associated with the diagnosis. Cross-referenced are other chapters and subheadings that should be consulted and special stains that m a y be helpful. A photograph depicts the disease process that is being described. I particularly liked the drawings and found them to be very helpful in illustrating more clearly the histologic changes present in the accompanying photomicrographs. The references provided at the conclusion o f each chapter point the student to comprehensive reviews and source articles. Certain words in the descriptive lists are published in bold print and draw attention to key words and phrases that should be remembered by the beginner. This approach encourages one to quickly grasp the language of dermatopathology by emphasizing frequently used clich6s. The book appears to serve a useful purpose as a well-organized introduction to the field of dermatopathology and should find a ready audience.
James L. O'Quinn, M.D., Augusta, GA
Fundamental immunology William E. Paul, New York, 1984, Raven Press. 809 pages. $80. In m y opinion, teaching advanced immunology to residents in graduate education or to practicing physicians in continuing medical education (CME) is a challenge. Our intention must be to obtain such a detailed and basic education that we should be able to read and utilize the torrent of new specialized clinical literature. To achieve this purpose here is the best textbook I have seen. Dr. Paul is from the Laboratory of Immunology at the Na-
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
tional Institutes of Health (NIH), and he has gathered an excellent group of authors who are active in research. The book is not at all clinical, yet the effort and mental pain required to read it will reward even the older clinician, who may need a few extra CME coaching sessions. Historical review and derivation of major ideas from the laboratory research characterize each chapter. The writing and organization of subjects are uncommonly well done. Those who need a major clarification of their knowledge of immunology may find this the book to consider.
Philip C. Anderson, M.D., Coll,tmbia, MO
Mystical bedlam Michael MacDonald, New York, 1981, Cambridge University Press. 323 pages. Soft cover, $14.95. As Major Koch of New York City tells it, we find a lot of " w a c k o s " all around every day. From this most enjoyable book from The Cambridge University Press series on the history of medicine, we realize that insanity has always been fascinating and plentiful and is not found exclusively in politics, California, or psychiatry clinics. Mr. MacDonald is an American historian who studied in Britain. He has analyzed thoroughly the clinical notes of the famous British physician, Richard " S a n d y " Napier, and he offers an analysis of mental disorders in that remote time. Napier, who began his practice in 1597, was one of the last great scholarly astrologic and hermetic magi from the late British renaissance. Napier enjoyed a splendid reputation in his lifetime, but soon was totally forgotten. The reason was that Napier lived just prior to an important transformation in ideas. Napier and the educated elite in medicine would support a methodologic skepticism about supernatural explanations, but the witchcraft statutes still were not repealed until 1736. MacDonald is comparing insanity before and after the scientific viewpoint emerged, and the results are interesting. The author writes very well. Mr. MacDonald also intends to ponder insanity in our own time and departs from Michel Foucault's famous book, Madness and Civilization, with a good criticism. Knowledge about insanity
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D., Albuquerque, NM Progress in diseases of the skin, vol 1 Raul Fleischmajer, M.D., editor, New York, 1984, Grune & Stratton Inc. 274 pages. $49.50. I groaned inwardly when asked to review yet another compilation of review articles. As I have mentioned previously, I think the market for such products is so sated that both the reader and the author are punished. One hardly ever sees a unique review article, and I suspect the financial rewards have been well diluted. Despite these cautions, I found myself enjoying volume 2 of Dr. Fleischmajer's efforts very much indeed. Progress in Diseases of the Skin does have some attractive features that set it apart from the
Book reviews
691
competition. First and foremost, it shows evidence of imaginative editing. Dr. Fleischmajer has struck a nice balance between dermatologists and nondermatologists, as well as between clinicians and researchers. All thirteen chapters are similar, twenty to thirty pages in length with sparse illustrations and eighty to one hundred references; somehow Dr. Fleishmajer's contributors followed instructions. Complementing the editorial excellence are the efforts of Grune & Stratton. The paper is opaque; the layout, spacious; the type, readable; and the cover, cloth. This volume both looks and feels like a sturdy, traditional book. But, of course, superficial appearances are not the way to judge a book. Rather, we must consider the contents. The articles are far-ranging and highly informative, although somewhat more oriented to basic science aspects of dermatology than those in competing tomes. Topics such as stratum corneum lipids, immunology of skin cancer, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair deficiencies, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity give a representative sampling. As might be expected, two articles deal with mechanisms of sclerosis, while a third considers the regulation of skin collagenase. Therapeutic articles include discussions of acyclovir, ketoconazole, and chemotherapy o f cutaneous lymphomas. Itis pointless to quibble over any given article and its content. On the whole, I learned a great deal by reading this book. On occasion I thought I had picked up a Journal of Investigative Dermatology by mistake, but, for the most part, each contributor tried to make his or her obvious basic science expertise clinically relevant. I rate Dr. Fleisehmajer's effort a peg above that of his competitors. In fact, I even ordered volume 1 and look forward to reading it.
Walter H. C. Burgdorf, M.D., Albuquerque, NM P r i m e r of dermatopathology Antoinette F. Hood, M.D., Theodore H. Kwan, M.D., Daniel C. Burnes, M.D., and Martin C. Mihm, Jr., M.D., Boston, 1984, Little, Brown & Co. 350 pages. $38.50.
Primer of Dermatopathology is a helpful handbook that should be of particular interest to medical students, dermatology residents, pathology
692
Book reviews
residents, and other newcomers to dermatopathology. The book has been published in a soft-cover, economical format and is telegraphic in its presentation. The mixture of black and white photomicrographs and drawings serves well to illustrate pathologic processes. The presentation is unencumbered by text. Headings in some cases reflect histologic observations that are followed by listed disease processes that exhibit the histologic pattern, such as lymphohistiocytic infiltrate. Beneath this are listed eight diagnoses in which lymphohistiocytic infiltrates are found and beneath these diagnoses are listed ten numbered histologic alterations that are associated with the diagnosis. Cross-referenced are other chapters and subheadings that should be consulted and special stains that m a y be helpful. A photograph depicts the disease process that is being described. I particularly liked the drawings and found them to be very helpful in illustrating more clearly the histologic changes present in the accompanying photomicrographs. The references provided at the conclusion o f each chapter point the student to comprehensive reviews and source articles. Certain words in the descriptive lists are published in bold print and draw attention to key words and phrases that should be remembered by the beginner. This approach encourages one to quickly grasp the language of dermatopathology by emphasizing frequently used clich6s. The book appears to serve a useful purpose as a well-organized introduction to the field of dermatopathology and should find a ready audience.
James L. O'Quinn, M.D., Augusta, GA
Fundamental immunology William E. Paul, New York, 1984, Raven Press. 809 pages. $80. In m y opinion, teaching advanced immunology to residents in graduate education or to practicing physicians in continuing medical education (CME) is a challenge. Our intention must be to obtain such a detailed and basic education that we should be able to read and utilize the torrent of new specialized clinical literature. To achieve this purpose here is the best textbook I have seen. Dr. Paul is from the Laboratory of Immunology at the Na-
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
tional Institutes of Health (NIH), and he has gathered an excellent group of authors who are active in research. The book is not at all clinical, yet the effort and mental pain required to read it will reward even the older clinician, who may need a few extra CME coaching sessions. Historical review and derivation of major ideas from the laboratory research characterize each chapter. The writing and organization of subjects are uncommonly well done. Those who need a major clarification of their knowledge of immunology may find this the book to consider.
Philip C. Anderson, M.D., Coll,tmbia, MO
Mystical bedlam Michael MacDonald, New York, 1981, Cambridge University Press. 323 pages. Soft cover, $14.95. As Major Koch of New York City tells it, we find a lot of " w a c k o s " all around every day. From this most enjoyable book from The Cambridge University Press series on the history of medicine, we realize that insanity has always been fascinating and plentiful and is not found exclusively in politics, California, or psychiatry clinics. Mr. MacDonald is an American historian who studied in Britain. He has analyzed thoroughly the clinical notes of the famous British physician, Richard " S a n d y " Napier, and he offers an analysis of mental disorders in that remote time. Napier, who began his practice in 1597, was one of the last great scholarly astrologic and hermetic magi from the late British renaissance. Napier enjoyed a splendid reputation in his lifetime, but soon was totally forgotten. The reason was that Napier lived just prior to an important transformation in ideas. Napier and the educated elite in medicine would support a methodologic skepticism about supernatural explanations, but the witchcraft statutes still were not repealed until 1736. MacDonald is comparing insanity before and after the scientific viewpoint emerged, and the results are interesting. The author writes very well. Mr. MacDonald also intends to ponder insanity in our own time and departs from Michel Foucault's famous book, Madness and Civilization, with a good criticism. Knowledge about insanity