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Textbook of pediatrics
BOOK
REVIEWS
Legal Medicine. Pathology and Toxicology. By Thomas A. GonzaIes, M.D., Morgan Vance, M.D., Milton Helpern, M.D. and Charles J. Umberger, M.D. Introduction by Harrison S. Martland, M.D. Second edition, 1349 pages, 578 iIIustrations. New York, 1954. Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. Price $22.00.
No doubt this is the text or so-caIIed BibIe of most of the country’s medica examiners. ShouId there be any of these gentIemen who are not famiIiar with this work or who do not own a copy, we urge them to purchase one at their very earliest convenience. AI1 those scientificaIIy bent, or who are Doctors of h/ledicine or engaged in any of the sidepaths of medicine wiI1 find this work instructive as we11 as absorbing reading. It is a scientific textbook on IegaI medicine, written by wideIy recognized topnotch experts, and we11 worth every penny of the price asked for it.
One of our good friends was the Iate Dr. Harrison S. MartIand, nationalIy known pathoIogist and RiledicaI Examiner for Essex County, New Jersey. In the course of a conversation I toId him I had an acquaintance who wrote Whodunit fiction and that this gentIeman desired an up-to-date, authoritative work on forensic medicine. Harrison directed us to this work. Who wouId disagree with the scientific presentation of such eminent experts in this fieId? In our opinion, we deem our onIy task is to give a very brief r&sum6 of what the book is about. The text presents the scientific methods and procedures used by the personne1 of the OffIce of the Chief hledica1 Examiner in New York City for medicaI-IegaI investigation of deaths due to accidenta or pIanned vioIence or poisoning, deaths due to natura1 but unknown causes or deaths which occur under suspicious circumstances. AI1 of this is based on experience gained in the handling of more than 20,000 cases yearIy. To continue, we cannot improve upon a further outIine of this book which we read in a pubIisher’s advertisement: “It covers such a wide variety of subjects as investigation at the scene of death; identification; signs of death; the technic of autopsy; unexpected and sudden natura1 death; types and compIications of trauma; brunt force injuries; stab wounds; buIIet wounds; traumatic and gas asphyxia; thermic trauma; pregnancy; iIIegitinfanticide; virginity; impoimacy ; abortion; tence; examinations of semen, bIood, hair and other materia1; cIinica1 examination for organic, inorganic and misceIIaneous poisons; rights and obIigations of physicians; maIpractice; insanity; insurance and survivorship; and a technica1 section of anaIytic methods for determining the presence of and identification of various poisons.”
American
Journal
of Surgery,
Volume
89. March,
19~
Textbook of Pediatrics. M.D., with the coIlaboration edition, 1,581 pages, 438 W. B. Saunders Company.
Edited by Waldo of 70 contributors. figures. PhiIadeIphia,
NeIson, Sixth 1954.
We read in the Preface to the sixth edition: “This edition is a continuation of the Griffith, Grifith-MitcheII and MitcheII-NeIson series of Textbooks of Pediatrics. It is with persona1 regret that Dr. MitcheII’s name is discontinued with this edition . . . I shaI1 aIways think of future editions of the book in terms of the foundation Iaid by Dr. Griffith and by Dr. MitcheII.” This book needs no eIaborate review. That it is now offered in a sixth edition and the fact that it has had a wide distribution speak for its vaIue and high merit. In this edition the intent was to make the text “as representative of current pediatric thought and practice as possibIe.” This has been accomplished. Some sections have been compIeteIy rewritten, many IargeIy so, and new sections and materia1 have been added. The volume is up-to-date. NaturaIIy this work wiI1 appeal to students especiaIIy, and aIso to those interested in the medica care of chiIdren. However, the surgery of chiIdren pIays an important roIe in modern medicine, and the surgeon who engages in this type of surgica1 practice will not be wasting his time in reading many parts of this monumenta and outstanding coIIection of writings by the seventy speciaIists in this fieId.
718
REVIEWS
Legal Medicine. Pathology and Toxicology. By Thomas A. GonzaIes, M.D., Morgan Vance, M.D., Milton Helpern, M.D. and Charles J. Umberger, M.D. Introduction by Harrison S. Martland, M.D. Second edition, 1349 pages, 578 iIIustrations. New York, 1954. Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. Price $22.00.
No doubt this is the text or so-caIIed BibIe of most of the country’s medica examiners. ShouId there be any of these gentIemen who are not famiIiar with this work or who do not own a copy, we urge them to purchase one at their very earliest convenience. AI1 those scientificaIIy bent, or who are Doctors of h/ledicine or engaged in any of the sidepaths of medicine wiI1 find this work instructive as we11 as absorbing reading. It is a scientific textbook on IegaI medicine, written by wideIy recognized topnotch experts, and we11 worth every penny of the price asked for it.
One of our good friends was the Iate Dr. Harrison S. MartIand, nationalIy known pathoIogist and RiledicaI Examiner for Essex County, New Jersey. In the course of a conversation I toId him I had an acquaintance who wrote Whodunit fiction and that this gentIeman desired an up-to-date, authoritative work on forensic medicine. Harrison directed us to this work. Who wouId disagree with the scientific presentation of such eminent experts in this fieId? In our opinion, we deem our onIy task is to give a very brief r&sum6 of what the book is about. The text presents the scientific methods and procedures used by the personne1 of the OffIce of the Chief hledica1 Examiner in New York City for medicaI-IegaI investigation of deaths due to accidenta or pIanned vioIence or poisoning, deaths due to natura1 but unknown causes or deaths which occur under suspicious circumstances. AI1 of this is based on experience gained in the handling of more than 20,000 cases yearIy. To continue, we cannot improve upon a further outIine of this book which we read in a pubIisher’s advertisement: “It covers such a wide variety of subjects as investigation at the scene of death; identification; signs of death; the technic of autopsy; unexpected and sudden natura1 death; types and compIications of trauma; brunt force injuries; stab wounds; buIIet wounds; traumatic and gas asphyxia; thermic trauma; pregnancy; iIIegitinfanticide; virginity; impoimacy ; abortion; tence; examinations of semen, bIood, hair and other materia1; cIinica1 examination for organic, inorganic and misceIIaneous poisons; rights and obIigations of physicians; maIpractice; insanity; insurance and survivorship; and a technica1 section of anaIytic methods for determining the presence of and identification of various poisons.”
American
Journal
of Surgery,
Volume
89. March,
19~
Textbook of Pediatrics. M.D., with the coIlaboration edition, 1,581 pages, 438 W. B. Saunders Company.
Edited by Waldo of 70 contributors. figures. PhiIadeIphia,
NeIson, Sixth 1954.
We read in the Preface to the sixth edition: “This edition is a continuation of the Griffith, Grifith-MitcheII and MitcheII-NeIson series of Textbooks of Pediatrics. It is with persona1 regret that Dr. MitcheII’s name is discontinued with this edition . . . I shaI1 aIways think of future editions of the book in terms of the foundation Iaid by Dr. Griffith and by Dr. MitcheII.” This book needs no eIaborate review. That it is now offered in a sixth edition and the fact that it has had a wide distribution speak for its vaIue and high merit. In this edition the intent was to make the text “as representative of current pediatric thought and practice as possibIe.” This has been accomplished. Some sections have been compIeteIy rewritten, many IargeIy so, and new sections and materia1 have been added. The volume is up-to-date. NaturaIIy this work wiI1 appeal to students especiaIIy, and aIso to those interested in the medica care of chiIdren. However, the surgery of chiIdren pIays an important roIe in modern medicine, and the surgeon who engages in this type of surgica1 practice will not be wasting his time in reading many parts of this monumenta and outstanding coIIection of writings by the seventy speciaIists in this fieId.
718