Immunology has become one of the most important of the life sciences. As research unravels the mystery of the lymphocyte, a central role of the immune system in health preservation has become evident. The paediatric immunodeficiency disorders or 'experiments of nature' have demonstrated the division of cellular and humoral immunity; specific functional defects are now readily identified. The tendency of persons with immune dysfunction to develop neoplasms has suggested that surveillance mechanisms within the immune apparatus prevent tumour development. Malignancies, in fact, do seem to...

Recent developments have favourably and extensively altered general surgical practice. As editor I have happily been able to select certain topics of new and major interest for detailed discussion and have thus had the opportunity to collect these authoritative submissions within the covers of one text. The range of topics is broad. Endoscopy has changed the nature of both investigation and treatment of much gastrointestinal disease and the therapeutic uses of endoscopy continue to grow. That sophisticated new tool of the radiologist, computerized axial tomography, has revolu- tionized the...