British Journal of Plastic Surgery (2000), 53, 360-361 �9 2000 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons

B R I T I S H J O U R N A L OF

Book reviews

P L A S T I C S U R G E R Y

doi: 10.10541bjps.2000.3363

Dates in Medicine By Anton Sebastian. The Parthenon Publishing Group, New York, USA, 2000. ISBN 1-85070-095-8. Pp viii + 436; ill.Price s $58.00

As a very basic list of dates from c.8000 BC to 1999 this book might just be of some interest but if renders are expecting any more they will be bitterly disappointed. There are signifi- cant problems if one attempts to use it as a reference source and each entry is of necessity very brief. One is left wonder- ing who it is aimed at, why it was written and how all the basic information was collected.

To be kind, a casual scan through its pages in your local bookshop or library will reveal some fascinating information and it might serve as a starting point to ook further by using another detailed source. The layout also allows comparisons, e.g. in the same year that pencillin was developed Susumu Tonegawa was born! Perhaps I have missed something and it may appeal to those who enjoy a quiet flip through something and it may appeal to those who enjoy a quiet flip through something they did not have to read. Unlike previous book reviews I do not mind admitting I have not read it page by apge. The local pub quiz team may like the review copy!

There is no index or any attempt at cross referencing. This is its major problem if one wants to find specific information quickly. Having worked hard to copile a chronological list of this nature, why not go the extra mile and write an index?

To find any entry one has to know its date. Famous docu- tors are listed by year of birth and each other entry by the failed because I did not know his date of birth (mea culpa) and I had to find its elsewhere. There are 29 entries spread over 3 pages covering 1882 ad inevitably few of the personal entries are supported by a helpful photograph which would give a clue. It is therefore a laborious task finding one name or event without some other information. When I did find him I learnt he was a New Zealander but was not informed that he worked in England! The cross-reference capabilities of your average PC with a relevant CD must be easier, and for all I know there is one which will do the job quicker and more effi- ciently for around the same price. It is a book for the inquisi- tive layan to browse for casual information and fun, but not for the specialist to use. Presumably that is the intention.

PHILIP J SYKES MA, FRCS Applecote, Applethwaite,

Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4PP, UK.

doi: 10,1054/bjps.2000.3348

An Atlas of Vascular Anatomy of the Skeleton and Spinal Cord By Henry V. Crock. Martin Dunitz, UK, 1996. ISBN 1-85317-302-9. Pp xvi + 307; ill. Price s

The author of this atlas may not be known to plastic sur- geons - Harry Crock is a spinal surgeon who has studied the

blood supply of the spinal cord and bony skeleton through- out his working life. This book represents the culmination of 30 years of painstaking investigation and pulls together material previously presented in monographs by the author and coworkers, and in individual chapters published in other books and journals. Although there is a voluminous litera- ture on the blood supply of bone it is made up of small studies on limited areas and this is the first book since 1904 to attempt a comprehensive description of the skeleton.

The format of the book is A4 with 90 colour and 325 black-and-white photographs. The anatomical material con- sists of latex or Micropaque injected specimens, beautifully dissected and/or cleared by the Spalteholz technique. Information is given on methods of preparation and photog- raphy of these specimens including original and innovative techniques. The venous drainage system has generally been ignored in other texts but is here demonstrated in several cru- cial areas. The quality of the dissections, their photography and their reproduction are all outstanding.

The contents of the book are arranged in seven chapters dealing with separate anatomical areas. Treatment of the body is uneven and reflects the availability of post-mortem material - calvarium and the flat bones of the pelvis and shoulder being less available than limb bones. The author's specialisation also influences the balance with 110 pages given to the spinal column and cord, as compared to 170 pages on the rest of the skeleton. The plates cover a wide age range and sequential changes in vascular patterns from birth to the adult are set out where they matter, e.g. in the femoral head. The specimens consist entirely of non-pathological anatomy except for a few plates which demonstrate the changes of age-related osteoarthritis. Although there are 71 line diagrams they are there mainly to illustrate planes of sec- tion and other aspects of specimen presentation and perspec- tive. They are not there to summarise the anatomy, so there is no bias introduced by the author or artist and the anatomical specimens speak for themselves although this requires more analytical effort on the part of the reader. Clinical correlation is achieved in the Introduction by highlighting some of the important findings which bear on surgical technique or on the possibilities for applied research. There is also introduc- tory text at the start of each of the seven skeletal areas pre- sented. This text varies between one and five paragraphs in length and whilst appreciating that this book is an atlas, I would have liked to read more about how this anatomical knowledge relates to existing and possibly future surgical practice. Although this was obviously considered by the author he discounted this possibility:

Because of the rapid developments now occurring in medical physics, imaging, bio-engineering and molecular biology, no attempt has been made to predict what practical applications might be made, in either medicine or surgery, of many of the anatomical findings in this book.

The corollary of this is that it will be many decades before this book is seen as being out of date.

The intended readership is described in the introduction thus: 'This book is presented as a basis for further thought and experiment for physiologists, anatomists, radiologists, surgeons and physicians interested in the musculoskeletal

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system.' My feeling is that this atlas would be of most use to spinal surgeons, radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons in that order. It is certainly true that for a plastic surgeon to extract anything from this would require thought and effort because the information needed for free or pedicled compos- ite tissue transfer is not, as it were, 'laid out on a plate'. Nevertheless it is clear that as a stimulus for further thought rather than as a source book for tissue transfer it fulfills its

aim. Have a look at this book if you can because even a casual browse cannot fail to evoke a sense of wonder at the beauty of the vascular tree in cleared specimens and at the immaculateness of the preparation and dissection work.

GEORGE C. CORMACK MB, ChB, MA, FRCSEd Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Addenbrooke's Hospital,

Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK.