Drs Bell and McCormick have managed a monumental task in very readable and informative format. Their book discusses agents of infection, clinical and laboratory diagnosis, and course and treatment for the bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic and ricketsial infections of the nervous system. Even as new therapeutic agents become available, the book will continue to be a valuable reference because of its thorough delineation of the clinical picture and careful discussions of differential diagnosis. There will be some disagreements on choice of drug therapies, management of subdural effusions, and repeated lumbar punctures to reduce intracranial pressure. Options are clearly stated and reflect the state of the art rather than basic discord.
Noteworthy is the section on focal suppurative infections of the nervous system. Written before wide application of computerized axial tomography, the other diagnostic modalities noted by the authors will lead to better utilization of this specialized technique. Part IV, cautiously