Diseases of the Digestive System

By J. W. Farquhar, M.D., F.R.C.P.E. (Pp. 28; figs. 2. 5s). Edinburgh and London: S. & S. Livingstone, 1970. THIS little book of 27 pages adequately covers what parents of diabetic children need to know to enable them to manage their child's disability successfully. However, urine testing four times daily would seem to be a standard of perfection beyond reach and counting the total number of urine tests which are positive or negative for sugar between each clinic visit does not seem to be of any great value as a guide to the overall control of the child's diabetes. A deep intramuscular injection of glucagon, given by the parent, into the upper part of the buttock is recommended for the treatment of a child in hypoglycaemic coma. The fact that there is no mention of rapid transfer to hospital of such a child for intravenous glucose is rather surprising. It is debatable whether the parents' attention need be drawn to the long-term complications of the disease. These are all minor criticisms and I have no doubt that parents of a diabetic child would find this book a very valuable additional source of information to that received on the ward and at the diabetic clinic. S.L.C.