Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Practice: A Modern Conception

The conception of this book was an excellent one. Specialization leads to an advancement of knowledge but also segregation of that knowledge amongst the select few. The present book is an attempt to counter this second, and unfortunate, tendency. Short though it is the book is divided into three parts: in the first the gross pathology of pulmonary tuberculosis is explained with the aid of diagrams demonstrating the twelve different stages of the disease with which the practitioner is likely to be concerned; in the second, the clinical aspects of these twelve different stages are dealt with; how the practitioner is to recognize them and what treatment he is to institute or advise; and in the third part are individual chapters on ' special aspects of the treatment of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis e.g., Mantoux test, pleural effusion and spontaneous pneumothorax. We have a few minor criticisms. The specialist delights in symbols, but let him keep them to himself.