This is the third and somewhat revised edition of a text that first appeared in 1953, and was quite extensively revised and expanded in the second edition of 1958. As in previous editions, the two authors, who have enunciated a basic philosophy of preventive medicine and set a pattern for its performance, have been joined by over 20 collaborators who contribute over half of the book.
As in the second edition, the text is divided into three parts. In the first, "Basic Principles," the authors set forth their concept of preventive medicine and outline three essential approaches, viz, primary prevention (health promotion and specific protection), secondary prevention (early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and disability limitations), and tertiary prevention (rehabilitation). Part two on application of principles, is a series of 12 chapters written by collaborating authors, and applying the foregoing principles to a variety of problems, ranging from the classical field of