Reproductive Physiology. Comparative Reproductive Physiology of Domestic Animals, Laboratory Animals and Man

in middle ear surgery. Concurrent improvements in the operating microscope made it possible to visualize middle ear structures in amazingly clear detail, and revealed to the ear surgeon the possibilities of preserving or restoring hearing in the surgical treatment of chronic middle ear infections. Since 1952 many articles have appeared describing various techniques of reconstructive surgery of the sound-conducting apparatus, and a few others have discussed the physiological principles on which these procedures are based. The present work serves an important need in providing the otologic surgeon with a thoroughgoing analysis of the technical and physiological aspects of middle ear surgery in one comprehensive volume. It describes in detail the experimental methods used in investigating middle ear function in the laboratory. A brief review of the pathology and physiology of the middle ear is included and there is a concise presentation of acoustic physics in understandable language. Finally, a clear, well-written section on treatment covers the newest techniques in the surgery of middle ear deafness. These include stapes mobilization, fenestration, prosthesis and tympanoplasty, each section written by a leading authority in the field. The reader might regret that nonsurgical methods of treating and preventing middle ear disease and deafness are not included. The average otolaryngologist consulting a volume by this title might expect to find a section on middle ear effusion since it is a frequent cause of conductive deafness and often requires surgical treatment. These topics are apparently outside the scope of this volume. The sections on testing and on pathology are rather sketchy but the otologic surgeon looking for a well-written, clearly illustrated description of the newest techniques in microsurgery of the middle ear will find this book a valuable source of information.