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The literature of preventive medicine
19~8.
PUBLIC
HEALTH.
The Literature of Preventive A
Tl~xT-Boo~¢ oF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Being the Third Edition of Goodall and \ V a s h b o u r n ' s Manual of Infectious Diseases. By E. W . GOODALL, O . B . E . , M.D., B.S. Lond. L o n d o n : H. K. Lewis and Co., I.td., 1928. pp. 718, illustrated. Price 30s. net.
There are some books it is an impertinence to attempt to review: Goodall and W a s h bourn is one of these. There are some books it is unnecessary as well as impertinent to recommend; and again Goodall and W a s h bourn is one of them. In sitting down to write of it the chief and only thing to be done is to resist the temptation to become reminiscent. Resisting this temptation, all it is necessary to do, and that may be done without presumption, is to chronicle the appearance of a new edition; to declare it to b e t a s , indeed, it is--a welcome appearance; to thank Dr. Goodall for having revised and brought the volume up to date; and to congratulate him on the excellent manner in which he has performed the task. Particularly, Dr. Goodall may be congratulated on the introductory chapter. A summary of the recent researches and modern views with regard to epidemiology was definitely wanted, and a book on infectious diseasesprovided a proper settingfor it--would indeed, be incomplete without it. Than Dr. Goodall no one better fitted to produce a summary could be imagined. The chatSter is a model of clearness, and is supremely attractive. Other new chapters on epidemic poliomyelitis and encephalitis were also called for, and equally are well done. Of the method of treatment of the chapters, known of old in the earlier editions, approval may be expressed. Approval also--and " approval " is the right word, since all habitual readers of a standard work such as this have a sort of proprietary interest in i t - - m a y be expressed of the action taken in regard to the chapters relating t o p l a g u e and so on. The reasons given for the omissions he has made are adequate, and would have been accepted if he had determined to omit the chapter on disinfection. H i s explanation of how he came to alter the title, particularly as the " Goodall and W a s h b o u r n " portion still remains unchanged, is regarded as satisfactory. The additional plates representing Koplik's spots
~r
Medicine.
may be helpful. As a result of all tile additions, tile bulk of ~he book has greatly increased: there are, in fact, 718 pages as against 426 in the previous edition, and the familiar brown binding" has, unfortunately perhaps, been changed to dark red.
CANCER OF THE UTERUS. A Statistical Inquir X into the Results of Treatment. Being a~ Analysis of the Existing Literature. By JANET E. LANE-CLAYPON, M.D., D.Sc. (Lond.), including a prefatory note by the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health. Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects, No. 40. H . M . Stationery Office, 1927. pp. 173. Price 3s. 6d. net. This report analyses the results of treatment of some 80,000 cases of uterine cancer as recorded in English and foreign literature up to March, 1926. The methods of treatment examined are operative and radiotogical, as applied to both the neck and the body of the uterus. The report is divided into five parts, the first four relating to the neck, the fifth to the body of the organ. In Part I the operability, operative mortality, and survival rates at five years by both methods are compared and contrasted. In Part t'I the difference between the survival rates among early and later cases is examined. In Part III the age, fertility and civil state of the patients are analysed together with the frequency of the common symptoms and their duration prior to application being made for treatment. Part I V treats of those matters of pathological importance Which appeared in the reports with special reference to the correspondence between clinical" ~ind pathological observations, the frequency of invasion of glands and parametrium dissemination of the disease, periods between treatment and recurrence, and similar matters. In Part V cancer of the uterine body is dealt with, so far as is possible, along the lines followed by the four previous parts. The data examined in the main body of the report are set out by countries and authors in a series of twenty-four appendices. A bibliography of 848 references, sub-divided according to country of origin, is also appended.
PUBLIC
HEALTH.
The Literature of Preventive A
Tl~xT-Boo~¢ oF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Being the Third Edition of Goodall and \ V a s h b o u r n ' s Manual of Infectious Diseases. By E. W . GOODALL, O . B . E . , M.D., B.S. Lond. L o n d o n : H. K. Lewis and Co., I.td., 1928. pp. 718, illustrated. Price 30s. net.
There are some books it is an impertinence to attempt to review: Goodall and W a s h bourn is one of these. There are some books it is unnecessary as well as impertinent to recommend; and again Goodall and W a s h bourn is one of them. In sitting down to write of it the chief and only thing to be done is to resist the temptation to become reminiscent. Resisting this temptation, all it is necessary to do, and that may be done without presumption, is to chronicle the appearance of a new edition; to declare it to b e t a s , indeed, it is--a welcome appearance; to thank Dr. Goodall for having revised and brought the volume up to date; and to congratulate him on the excellent manner in which he has performed the task. Particularly, Dr. Goodall may be congratulated on the introductory chapter. A summary of the recent researches and modern views with regard to epidemiology was definitely wanted, and a book on infectious diseasesprovided a proper settingfor it--would indeed, be incomplete without it. Than Dr. Goodall no one better fitted to produce a summary could be imagined. The chatSter is a model of clearness, and is supremely attractive. Other new chapters on epidemic poliomyelitis and encephalitis were also called for, and equally are well done. Of the method of treatment of the chapters, known of old in the earlier editions, approval may be expressed. Approval also--and " approval " is the right word, since all habitual readers of a standard work such as this have a sort of proprietary interest in i t - - m a y be expressed of the action taken in regard to the chapters relating t o p l a g u e and so on. The reasons given for the omissions he has made are adequate, and would have been accepted if he had determined to omit the chapter on disinfection. H i s explanation of how he came to alter the title, particularly as the " Goodall and W a s h b o u r n " portion still remains unchanged, is regarded as satisfactory. The additional plates representing Koplik's spots
~r
Medicine.
may be helpful. As a result of all tile additions, tile bulk of ~he book has greatly increased: there are, in fact, 718 pages as against 426 in the previous edition, and the familiar brown binding" has, unfortunately perhaps, been changed to dark red.
CANCER OF THE UTERUS. A Statistical Inquir X into the Results of Treatment. Being a~ Analysis of the Existing Literature. By JANET E. LANE-CLAYPON, M.D., D.Sc. (Lond.), including a prefatory note by the Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health. Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects, No. 40. H . M . Stationery Office, 1927. pp. 173. Price 3s. 6d. net. This report analyses the results of treatment of some 80,000 cases of uterine cancer as recorded in English and foreign literature up to March, 1926. The methods of treatment examined are operative and radiotogical, as applied to both the neck and the body of the uterus. The report is divided into five parts, the first four relating to the neck, the fifth to the body of the organ. In Part I the operability, operative mortality, and survival rates at five years by both methods are compared and contrasted. In Part t'I the difference between the survival rates among early and later cases is examined. In Part III the age, fertility and civil state of the patients are analysed together with the frequency of the common symptoms and their duration prior to application being made for treatment. Part I V treats of those matters of pathological importance Which appeared in the reports with special reference to the correspondence between clinical" ~ind pathological observations, the frequency of invasion of glands and parametrium dissemination of the disease, periods between treatment and recurrence, and similar matters. In Part V cancer of the uterine body is dealt with, so far as is possible, along the lines followed by the four previous parts. The data examined in the main body of the report are set out by countries and authors in a series of twenty-four appendices. A bibliography of 848 references, sub-divided according to country of origin, is also appended.