Gray's Anatomy
"Men of genius do not excel in any profession because they labour in it, but they labour in it, because they excel."
William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
The genius Henry Gray devoted his youth to anatomy. In 1858, at the age of 31, he published a book of 750 pages and 363 figures. I had the honor to review the 37th edition of Gray's Anatomy for this publication and now hold the 38th edition, a colossus of 2092 pages and 2768 illustrations.
Gray's Anatomy began transforming its scope and visual impact in 1971. While the content is excellent, the overall organization is disarticulated and fragmented. I appreciate the color pages fronting each chapter, some graced with valuable statements of philosophy (see chapter 3). The blend of knowledge and skepticism of the 37th edition continues magnificently.
I concur with editor Lawrence H. Bannister's assessment of the Queen of Medical Sciences today: