Within these two volumes Dr. Turell, aided by 82 distinguished contributors, has collected precise, comprehensive, and authoritative information about the colon and anorectum, and thus created a practical, progressive, and complete textbook on this subject. He has achieved the goal of presenting newer concepts as well as established principles.
Approximately three-fourths of the subject matter concerns rectocolonic and anorectal lesions; the rest covers applied basic science, diagnosis, and anesthesia. The scope of the basic material ranges through the embryology of the alimentary tract; the anatomy and physiology of the colon; endocrine factors during and after major surgery; water and electrolyte imbalance; nutritional, pharmacological, and bacteriological factors as related to the colon; and chemotherapeutic agents applied to surgery of the colon. These chapters are clear, comprehensive, and well documented. Snyder's section on embryology is complete, and his three-dimensional diagrams are most instructive. The section on anatomy by Goligher of St. Mark's