History and iconography of endemic goitre and cretinism

the eighteenth century. Because of Neuburger's brief, he gives only a short but effective account of electrophysiology. Dr Brazier, although concerned with all of neurophysiology, has selected the reverse arrangement: little reference to brain localization with no account of Willis's important contribution, and great emphasis laid on nerve conduction. Even in Part I, the latter topic receives considerable space, at the expense of other concepts, and even if this provides an excellent prologue to Part II's account of neural electrophysiology, it results in an unbalanced survey of advances in the neurosciences. Perhaps some reference to the bias should have been given in the title of the book. Another criticism is that at times the non-scientific background, admittedly of vital importance, is given more prominence than it deserves. Thus, Haller, the greatest physiologist of the eighteenth century, is discussed in the same amount of space as Denis Diderot, who, even though an outstanding Enlightenment figure, does not warrant such treatment in this book. Neuburger gave Haller and his school a great deal of justifiable attention. We can therefore recommend Dr Brazier's book to all those concerned with the practical and historical aspects of the nervous system in health and disease, but with the proviso that they are aware of the two main shortcomings described above. We look forward with anticipation to her second volume. Edwin Clarke Great Rissington, Glos.