This 656-page paperback second edition is an updated version of the original 1977 publication. As stated by the editors, it is "prepared as a textbook and supplement for the medical student and surgical resident."
For ease of reference the book has been divided into four units and comprises 35 chapters. Unit 1 discusses "Basic Considerations" and covers metabolic responses, monitoring, fluid and electrolyte balance, immune responses, tissue healing, surgical infections, and cancer. The presentations are abbreviated, but for the audience intended it serves very well. The chapters on monitoring and immune response are particularly well done.
Unit 2, covering "Total Care," contains basic information and allows the student to become familiar with new terms and concepts. Units 3 and 4, on "Principles of General Surgery" and "Principles of Speciality Surgery," provide a general discussion of the various body systems, emphasizing the principles of therapy rather than detailing surgical technique. The