John W. Huffman

Greenhill's surgical gynecology

The authors have rightly acknowledged Dr Greenhills contribution to gynecologic surgery. He had a major influence, through his writings on gynecology, during the formative years of the specialty in this country. The book is a relatively small but concise text. Its most notable features are the chapters that describe the gynecologic surgeons equipment and methods, fluid and electrolyte metabolism, and preoperative and postoperative patient care. Five of the ten chapters are devoted to illustrations of various minor and major operative procedures. The line drawings are much like those that have appeared in gynecologic texts for many years; a number of them lack the detail necessary for a clear understanding of the operation. In the preface, the authors state that the book is intended primarily for the neophyte in the specialty. It fulfills this aim in that it shows stereotyped steps in most procedures that an intern will see gynecologic surgeons

American Indian Medicine

The drama of the invasion, conquest, and settlement of the Americas and the tragedy of the subjugation, displacement, and decimation of the American Indians has obscured the fact that we have borrowed many things from them. It is an accepted reality that a conqueror imposes his culture on the conquered. However, it is also true that counter-acculturation almost invariably occurs; as a result the conqueror absorbs part of the culture of those he subjugated. The author has done a masterful job of shining new light on one facet of the problem, namely, the contribution the Indians made to modern medicine. He also has provided a basis for a new appraisal of the counter-acculturation process in North America. The book is much more than a monograph on the anthropological aspects of culture diffusion. It is a well and interestingly written essay on the medical aspects of Indian history, folklore, pharmacology, and

The Intersexual Disorders

Intersexed individuals are not common patients even in major pediatric or obstetrical and gynecological institutions. Perhaps a dozen or so a year will be presented on the service of a large pediatric hospital, and fewer than that will be recorded in the yearly records of a large obstetrical or gynecological service. The average physician gives little thought to the tragedy which attends the birth of an infant of uncertain sex until he is brought face to face with such a situation. Then the matter becomes an urgent affair that requires prompt diagnosis and a thoughtfully planned scheme of management. Happily, the last few decades have produced wholly new concepts of the cause of such problems, developed efficient diagnostic tests, and evolved improved methods of treatment. Professor Dewhurst, a distinguished obstetrician and gynecologist, and Dr. Gordon, an eminent pediatrician, have both been concerned with problems of this type for many years.

The Pill: Facts and Fallacies About Today's Oral Contraceptives

ABSTRACT No one denies that women who take birth-control pills may become seriously ill. The question is: Did the pills they took cause the disease attributed to them? If so, how likely are patients to have such iatrogenic disorders? Is a patient, after understanding its relative hazards, justified in taking the more convenient pill in preference to using some other, less-certain contraceptives?Robert Kistner answers questions like these for patients in a specific fashion. He has gathered together the conflicting data on the Pill and blood clots, the Pill and cancer, the Pill and diabetes and the relationship of the Pill and numerous other morbid states with which it is or is alleged to be associated. In each case, he relates the pertinent backup statistical studies, points out their significance (or lack of it), and draws judicial conclusions in language patients can understand.The Pill is more than a book about

Controversy in Obstetrics and Gynecology

A controversy, to be stimulating, ought to be truly disputatious. This requires conflicting opinions. The discussants should have firm convictions and vigorously marshall facts to support their viewpoints and to refute those of their adversaries. I am sure Drs. Reid and Barton thought about these things when they planned their book. They chose 58 knowledgeable contributors for it, 35 from New England and the eastern United States and only 12 from west of the Alleghenies. This sectionalism may explain why some of the discussions lack the sharpness and aggressiveness that would be expected from the books title. Authors farther removed from the eastern seaboard might have offered a greater diversity of opinion. The editors selected only five gynecologic subjects for discussion, compared with 15 on obstetrics. Most gynecologists could easily come up with a dozen topics for debate. Most of the contributions are relatively short reviews of the assigned subjects,

Advances in the Treatment of Menstrual Dysfunction

This small volume comprises a symposium on the treatment of menstrual dysfunctions held in April, 1963. Most of the participants are well known for their work in experimental or clinical gynecology. There was reason to hope that such a distinguished gathering would produce a goodly number of new ideas and a stimulating discussion. Unfortunately, this was not the case; the papers are, for the most part, reviews of previously published work. The manner in which many of them are written suggests that the presentations were extemporaneous, that they were probably taken down by a reporter, and that the essayists were not encouraged to check their material for grammatical errors. The discussions indicate that the conferees possessed a remarkable unanimity as to the value of the synthetic progestins in the treatment of most menstrual dysfunctions. The first part of the symposium, concerned with the physiology of the female reproductive system, contains

Atlas of Obstetric Complications.

This atlas, representing the combined efforts of an obstetric clinician-teacher and a medical artist, presents in drawings and text the concepts which the senior author has developed through 50 years of clinical experience. Anatomy and physiology are emphasized as a basis for clinical management. Most of the illustrations have been taken from scientific exhibits on maternal and infant health shown by the authors during the past 25 years and therefore will be familiar to physicians who have seen the exhibits at the meetings of the American Medical Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, and obstetrical and gynecologic organizations. Much thought and effort have gone into the preparation of both illustrations and text. The large, clear figures are well drawn, the text accompanying them is pertinent, color has been lavishly used, and the employment of sepia instead of black ink gives the book a warm and pleasing aspect. The atlas encompasses