This monograph on cirrhosis of the liver is based, in addition to an exhaustive review of the literature, on observations on 41 patients treated conservatively and on the study of twentyseven biopsies obtained in course of operations performed for various lesions of the biliary tract.
The author begins in a systematic manner with the embryology, anatomy, histology and physiology of the liver and proceeds to describe the pathologic changes characteristic for cirrhosis, its various stages, pathogenesis, experimental findings, interrelations with the spleen and prodromal symptoms. Case histories are followed by a description of clinical and laboratory findings, hepatic function tests in general and those considered characteristic for cirrhosis, such as Takata-Ara, Weltmann and Hanger reactions. The last part of the book deals with complications of cirrhosis, its classification and medical and surgical treatment.
The author differentiates two stages of cirrhosis, (1) the stage of evolution and (2) the so-called cicatricial