This unique two-part discussion of foxglove--the herb from which digitalis is derived--features a facsimile of William Withering's classic "An Account of Foxglove and Some of its Medical Uses," complete with explanatory notes interpreting this eighteenth century text for the modern reader. The second part of the book, written by J.K. Aronson, co-author of the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Pharmacology, includes an introduction to the botany and pharmacology of foxgloves, their therapeutic uses before Withering, a short biography of Withering, an account of 18th century medical practices, and...

Doctors, nurses, and other workers in cancer care are increasingly aware of the need to improve their ability to interact effectively with cancer patients and their relatives, and colleagues. This book focuses primarily on the skills and strategies needed for effective communications between health professionals and patients trying to adapt to a fear-provoking diagnosis and an uncertain future. The practical guidelines have been tested over the years in clinical practice and validated by those using them.

This is a comprehensive sourcebook of reference data for health professionals involved in evaluating people with abnormal features or syndromes. It includes many graphs, tables, and charts needed by clinicians to define normal patterns of growth and provides standards of comparison for possible congenital abnormalities. Numerous "how-to" illustrations give the step-by-step guidance needed to ensure that standardized measurements are properly taken for accurate recordkeeping. Designed for ease of use, the pocket-sized book has a durable plastic cover, making it ideal for use in the ward or...

This new book will enable family practitioners, obstetricians and pediatricians to answer the concerns of the families in their care. It is the first book to make information on this important topic so easily accessible to clinicians. The book is firmly rooted in clinical practice and based on many years of experience, much of it involving the development and implementation of new techniques for examining the fetus in utero. The techniques now available are assessed and better ways to identify pregnancies which are eligible to their application are proposed. The authors describe both the...

Death in childhood is uncommon but for those families who have to confront the situation the burden is great. The stress and anxiety for health care workers is also considerable. This book considers the medical, psycho-social and practical issues involved in caring for children dying from chronic disease. It is directed towards pediatricians, family doctors and other professionals who may be involved in caring for terminally ill children and their families, whether at home or in hospital.

As functional imaging continues to become increasingly important to ev eryday clinical practice, clinicians need to know more about the quant itative aspects of physiology and pathophysiology. In straightforward language for the clinician, this book integrates the principles and ma thematics of measurement with the physiological systems to which the q uantitative problems are applied. Although there is an emphasis on the clinical measurement of radionuclides and quantitative procedures in nuclear medicine, this book has been written with all clinicians in mi nd. Starting from basic...

This book is aimed at all trainees in surgery, and emphasizes the prin ciples of diagnosis and management based on a knowledge of basic scien ce and applied physiology. From a working diagnosis, the book leads th e reader through investigation and assessment, operative procedures, p ost-operative care, to prevention and treatment of complications.

This book is the first to address both the theoretical and practical issues which arise when describing the geographical distribution of disease and investigating apparent disease clusters. Requirements in terms of population data, disease incidence and mortality are considered and related to the scale at which a study is being carried out. Statistical methods are reviewed for large scale correlation studies, intermediate scale smoothing exercises, and small scale clustering investigations, and the problems of interpretation are discussed. Problems of measuring environmental exposures at...

Psychopathology is the study of the signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders - delusions, hallucinations, phobias, depression, for exampl e. This book gives an account of the terms currently in use and attemp ts an in-depth analysis of the nature of each. The matter is examined both from a philosophical perspective and from the point of view of wh at is known about the function of the hemispheres of the brain.

The demand for quality control of medical care has increased dramatically in recent years. In response to higher public awareness and political trends, the implementation of audit has swept through general practice in the US, fueled by the appearance of improved data collection systems and the greater sophistication of primary care teamwork. This book is a concise yet comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of medical audit in the primary health care setting. Edited by two university lecturers who are also practicing family practitioners, the book includes contributions from a range of...