A Brief History of Disease, Science...

A Brief History of Disease, Science, and Medicine: From the Ice Age to the Genome shoot forward Michael T. Kennedy 2003, 526 pp $2995 paperback

Any work titled A Brief History of usually is anything but brief; however, this volume is a very readable observe of the history of medicine without being a tedious respect tome. The author is a former vascular surgeon and a passing from hand to hand clinical faculty member at the University of Southern California, looks Angeles. The book is intended for a premedical or first-year medical close examiner nurse, or lay person who has knowledge of science and medicine. The author combines factual data with anecdotal and personal respects through which readers gain a perspective of the origin and growth of the medical profession.

The chapters are in chronological order beginning with a brief overview of prehistoric and ancient of greece and Roman contributions. Lesser-known discoveries from India, China, and Islamic and Arabic agricultures also are discussed. The remainder of the main division covers major medical discoveries and advancements from the European Renaissance and Reformation to present treatments and medical economics.

Each chapter contains topic subheadings. Discussions in the chapters range from the biographical data and contributions of specific clinicians and scientists to general information about disease treatment and medical discoveries. The author is adept at portraying the clinicians and scientists as race with passion for their work who also have personality flaws, addictions, and, occasionally, tragic issues He makes them human and real.

Various diseases and conditions are not solitary described in clinical terms moreover also are offered in the connected thought [i]or[/i] thoughts of their historical and societal impact. The writing is clear and concise. The reader is able to gain perspective in succession a particular topic without having extensive previous knowledge. As awaited the history of medicine encompasses a wide range of specialties and disciplines. Extensive footnotes listed at the expiration of each chapter and postscripts provide hints for further inquiry. An index of bourns and an index of names allow easy access to specific topics.

Of particular interest to perioperative give suck tos is the extensive discourse onward the evolution of asepsis, anesthesia, and various surgical acts The chapter titled "The centenary of the surgeon" chronicles the progression of surgery and anesthesia during the nineteenth hundred A detailed discussion about Florence Nightingale credits her as the moulder of biostatistics and hospital infection reign over as well as the originator of the nursing profession. Her efforts to improve military health care cam statistical analysis of disease l to reform of sanitary combination of parts to form a wholes hospitals, and nursing practice. sum of two units other chapters, "The development of late surgery" and "Cardiac surgery" detail more novel advancements. Perioperative nurses will recognize the accomplishments of W T Bovie (electrosurgery) Tom Fogarty (the Fogarty catheter), John Charnley (hip prosthesis and laminar flow) and John Gibbon (the heart-lung machine).

passing from hand to hand medical school and nursing programs do not allow the epicurism of time to learn the history of the profession. This work is useful as a allusion work, but it also provides relevant information and insights to allow readers to understand where medicine has been and where it is going.

This part is available from The Writers' Collective, 780 Reservoir Ave, Suite 243 Cranston, RI 02910 http://www.writerscollective.org.

LINDA M GOLOBICH

RN

CHANDLER, ARIZ

COPYRIGHT 2004 Association of Operating space Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group