SURVEILLANCE MEDICALE

Canadian Medical Association. Baby and child health. The essential guide from birth to 11 years

Editor in chief: William James

Dorling Kindersley, represented in Canada by Tourmaline Editions Inc, 662 King St W, Suite 304, Toronto, ON M5V 1M7; telephone (416) 469-4008; website http://www.dk.com

2005/352 pp/$40

OVERALL RATING Excellent
STRENGTHS Comprehensive yet straightforward; extensive index and colour-coded tabs facilitate consultation; colour photographs are culturally sensitive, reflecting Canadian families’ diversity; explicitly identifies when parents need to consult a physician. A must-have reference book for every family
WEAKNESSES None
AUDIENCE Canadian parents and caregivers Baby and Child Health is a superb reference book that should be required reading for all Canadian parents. As the mother of a 1-year-old, I can’t say enough about the breadth of the topics covered: everything from breastfeeding and introducing solid foods to preparing for school and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. The text is presented logically by age and developmental stage. Common concerns are addressed in a manner that is frank but not condescending.

There is an entire section devoted to common childhood diseases and disorders, organized by organ system. For each diseases or disorder, the book presents signs and symptoms and states what parents or caregivers can do to help the child feel better while at home. Most notably, this section states—in no uncertain terms—when the child needs to receive professional care. The greatest strength of Baby and Child Health is the “diagnostic charts” that precede the chapters on childhood diseases and disorders. These charts are organized into broad categories (eg, breathing problems, coughing, dizziness) and list various signs and symptoms, each followed by a “possible cause” and the “action needed.” These charts, in keeping with the tone of the entire book, are written in language that is easy to understand and are sufficiently descriptive to permit even the most medically naive parents to make an informed decision regarding their children’s health.

I credit the Canadian Medical Association for including discussions of complementary therapies in this book. This demonstrates that they are in tune with Canadian families; the reality is that many children are receiving these therapies, often as an adjunct to conventional medical care. I highly recommend Baby and Child Health as a reference book for all Canadian families.

—Tammy Clifford, MSC(A), PHD

Dr Clifford is a pediatric epidemiologist based at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.

The knife man. The extraordinary life and times of John Hunter, father of modern surgery

Author: Wendy Moore

Bantam Press, Random House of Canada Ltd, 2775 Matheson Blvd E, Mississauga, ON L4W 4P7; telephone (905) 624-0672; fax (905) 624-6217; website http://www.randomhouse.ca

2005/482 pp/$48.50

OVERALL RATING Very good
STRENGTHS Vivid description of social conditions of the time; detailed information on Hunter’s life
WEAKNESSES May have too much detail for some readers
AUDIENCE Anyone with curiosity to know why we do not do bloodletting any more. For those of you who think that evidence-based medicine is a new phenomenon, this book will make you aware that John Hunter, who lived and worked in the mid-1700s, was one of the first to rely on observation and experiment to solve clinical problems. And he was a surgeon to boot!

Wendy Moore has created a remarkable profile of an extraordinary man who came from a humble rural background in Scotland, who went on to become the most experienced anatomist and surgeon of his time, and who laid the foundation for the scientific approach to medicine and surgery that we continue to use today. While his colleagues looked upon illness from a classic perspective, revering the ancients as the masters of the art, Hunter actually dissected human bodies to discover why they became ill and how they might be treated.

His capacity for work was enormous and his curiosity insatiable—he dissected thousands of bodies in his quest for better knowledge. His desire for bodies to dissect meant a close association with “Resurrectionists” who stole bodies from grave sites on a regular basis, much to the dismay of the public. His observations and experiments revealed the lymph system, and he introduced radical new ways of treating battlefield wounds following a stint in the British Army. Many of his dissections were preserved, often in exquisite drawings by Jan van Rymsdyk, and they formed the basis of the greatest collection of medical specimens in the world. At the same time, Hunter was interested in comparative anatomy and assembled an incredible collection of specimens—not only human bits and pieces but all kinds of species from giraffes to crocodiles to double-tailed lizards. He even stole the skeleton of the Irish Giant. He was also asked, on occasion, to perform autopsies on his colleagues. To confirm his clinical diagnosis, he insisted that an autopsy be performed on his own body after his premature death from coronary artery disease.

The book is particularly interesting for the social history it portrays. Life in 18th-century Britain was short and brutal, and patients’ chances of survival at the hands of bloodletting, leach-applying, poorly trained surgeons were pretty small. Hunter’s approach to care—having a superb knowledge of anatomy and the patience to follow the natural history of illness, knowing when to intervene—was at odds with his colleagues. As a result, although he earned a great reputation as a surgeon, he also faced the enmity of many of his less scientific colleagues. He fought hard to improve the education of young surgeons and lectured every year for most of his working life. During this time he built his own lecture hall and medical museum.

A family physician can learn a lot from John Hunter. He had a natural curiosity, a questioning mind, a willingness to listen to his patients, and the courage to try something new.

—Tony Reid, MD, MSC, CCFP, FCFP

Dr Reid practises family medicine in Orillia, Ont, and is Scientific Editor of Canadian Family Physician.