Since the dawn of civilization, nothing has so puzzled people— and often frightened them, as well—as the onset of illness in a body or mind that had seemed healthy before. A seizure, the inability of a heart to pump, the sudden deterioration of muscle tone in a small child—being unable to reverse such conditions or even to understand why they occur was unspeakably frustrating to healers. Even before there were names for such conditions, even before they were understood at all, each was a reminder of how complex the human body was, and how vulnerable. While our grappling with understanding diseases has been frustrating at times, it has also provided some of humankind’s most heroic accomplishments. Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery in 1928 of a mold that could be turned into penicillin has resulted in the saving of untold millions of lives. The isolation of the enzyme insulin has reversed what was once a death sentence for anyone with diabetes. There have been great strides in combating conditions for which there is not yet a cure, too. Medicines can help AIDS patients live longer, diagnostic tools such as mammography and ultrasounds can help doctors find tumors while they are treatable, and laser surgery techniques have made the most intricate, minute operations routine. This “toe-to-toe” competition with diseases and disorders is even more remarkable when seen in a historical continuum. An astonishing amount of progress has been made in a very short time. Just two hundred years ago, the existence of germs as a cause of some diseases was unknown. In fact, it was less than 150 years ago that a British surgeon named Joseph Lister had difficulty persuading his fellow doctors that washing their hands before delivering a baby might increase the chances of a healthy delivery (especially if they had just attended to a diseased patient)! Each book in Lucent’s Diseases and Disorders series explores a disease or disorder and the knowledge that has been accumulated (or discarded) by doctors through the years. Each book also examines the tools used for pinpointing a diagnosis, as well as the various means that are used to treat or cure a disease. Finally, new ideas are presented—techniques or medicines that may be on the horizon. Frustration and disappointment are still part of medicine, for not every disease or condition can be cured or prevented. But the limitations of knowledge are being pushed outward constantly; the “most difficult puzzles ever devised” are finding challengers every day.

The world's most widely used medical reference now features expanded clinical focus on each category of disorder, as well as more specific guidance on patient examinations. The thoroughly revised and updated 18th Edition is packed with essential information on diagnosing and treating medical disorders to help medical professionals deliver the best care to their patients. This handy, compact guide was written by a team of clinicians for everyday use. Designed for maximum clinical utility, the new Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy makes it easy to find the right information, right when it is needed. It is a must-have for medical students, residents, practicing physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals.

Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 5/e is a popular textbook of ENT (Otolaryngology). The first edition of the book was published in 1992. Since then it has received wide acceptance from the market and every attempt has been made to update the current editions in the light of the advances made by the specialty. The specialty of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery is fast expanding and has evolved into several super specialties. To keep abreast with these advancements, the current fifth edition of the book was brought out in the market.

Vol.2 : M - Z. - 511 - 1011 pp.

Despite a recent increase in the amount of medical information available to researchers, most resources either fail to explore neurological disease in any depth and or do so at a level not appropriate for students and general readers. Targeted to patients, their families and allied health students, The Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders provides in-depth coverage of neurological diseases and disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, Tourette Syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, cerebral palsy, vertigo, amnesia and epilepsy. Related topics include communication aids, electric personal assistive mobility devices, medications for treating neurological diseases and conditions, understanding the needs of Alzheimer patient caregivers and more.

Vol. 2 : D-K. - 365 p.

This is a book with many virtues and one fatal flaw. Among the former are a clear, lucid style and an impressive overview of the state of the art in contemporary genetic science and the moral debates that they have provoked. This book is highly recommended to those who are relatively new to these issues and want a superb, layman's introduction. But the book's central argument is embarrassingly weak. Fukuyama relies on Aristotle to support his central claim that morality ought to be grounded in an essential conception of human nature, the substance of which he sketches in the core chapters of the book. Scientific techniques should be regulated by the state, he argues, so that they do not threaten this nature, and thereby constitute an assault on human dignity.

The Human Body II, is one book in the Britannica Illustrated Science Library Series that covers today's most popular science topics, from digital TV to microchips to touchscreens and beyond. Perennial subjects in earth science, life science, and physical science are all explored in detail. Amazing graphics-more than 1,000 per title-combined with concise summaries help students understand complex subjects. Correlated to the science curriculum in grades 5-9, each title also contains a glossary with full definitions for vocabulary.

It is now thirty years since the discovery of AIDS but its origins continue to puzzle doctors and scientists. Inspired by his own experiences working as an infectious diseases physician in Africa, Jacques Pepin looks back to the early twentieth-century events in Africa that triggered the emergence of HIV/AIDS and traces its subsequent development into the most dramatic and destructive epidemic of modern times. He shows how the disease was first transmitted from chimpanzees to man and then how urbanization, prostitution, and large-scale colonial medical campaigns intended to eradicate tropical diseases combined to disastrous effect to fuel the spread of the virus from its origins in Léopoldville to the rest of Africa, the Caribbean and ultimately worldwide. This is an essential new perspective on HIV/AIDS and on the lessons that must be learnt if we are to avoid provoking another pandemic in the future.

Arthritis is the number-one cause of disability in the U.S., and this encyclopedia, written for the lay reader as well as the professional, covers all aspects of the subject. Included are definitions of specific types of arthritis along with their symptoms, causes, diagnoses, and treatments, whether nonpharmacological, proven pharmacological, or surgical. Written by two experienced medical doctors, this addition to the Facts On File Library of Health and Living provides reliable, comprehensive coverage of the topic in an accessible A-Z format. Most articles give the history of the term, symptom, or disease, some of which have been identified from ancient times, while others have been diagnosed only within the last 10 years. Clear explanations of the various clinical types of arthritis, among them osteoarthritis, crystal-induced arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and connective tissue disorders, aid the reader. An appendix gives information on drugs that are used in the treatment of arthritis and includes trade name, side effects, and excellent see references. Lists of laboratory and diagnostic tests, general and specific Web sites, a glossary of abbreviations and medical terms, and a bibliography are also provided. The index cites information in the appendixes as well as the encyclopedia portion of the book. This volume is a one-stop source for a broad subject and is highly recommended for libraries with medical and consumer health collections.

Vol. 2 : D - K. - P. 551-1058