In a field as restricted as the history of nursing, the appearance of a new edition only five years after the initial publication indicates that the book has met a real need. This volume, by Vern and Bonnie Bullough, recounts briefly the development of nursing activity from primitive times to the very present. The senior author (who was junior in the original edition) is well known for his historical studies of medieval medicine. The junior author, since the original edition, has acquired her PhD degree in sociology.
The Bulloughs have an interest in the dynamic progress of nursing, relative to other aspects of the health professions and to social and sociological problems. The best chapters are those which cover the medieval and early modern period, and so-called age of reform. The story of Florence Nightingale is especially well told. These chapters are rewarding to all readers. On the other hand,