In 1876, A Century of American Medicine was published, summarizing the state of medicine at that time. Now, at the 200th anniversary, a further summary seemed indicated. This we now have in two handsome volumes that are richly illustrated and have abundant references and suggestions for further readings. Nineteen contributions by 22 authors present a vast amount of data on the progress of medicine in this country, principally in the last half century but with numerous bows to the earlier periods. The authors are prominent specialists, and they write about broad areas of medical science such as genetics, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, neoplasia, immunology, surgery, and the neurosciences. There are also several chapters on ancillary subjects such as biomedical communications, public health, medical education, and federal impact on medical research.
The various authors, eminent in their respective fields, write with considerable authority, but the accounts are largely in the form