Davis-Christopher Textbook of Surgery. The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice.

Abstract

The 11th edition of Sabiston's book is not just a text, it is a one-volume encyclopedia/p2,465 pages, 207 authors (all but three from the United States and Canada), 1,805 illustrations, 59 sections, and 20 chapters. The index (113 pages) is as large as some texts. Perhaps the sheer bulk of this volume, which aspires to be a text in basic science as it applies to surgical disease, is its weakness as well as its strength. After all, the mastodons outgrew their ability to survive in a hostile world! But size and scope apart, this is a marvelous volume. It retains its charm and interest. Even on the first page, we learn that 39% of wild apes have healed fractures\p=m-\emphasizingthat many diseases cure themselves. The historical sections are unique, the commentaries on the bibliographies valuable, and the innovative chapters (exams, computers, immunobiology of cancer) novel and valuable. New chapters mentioning progress since the last edition include Coronary Artery Disease, Multiple Endocrine Tumors, Intensive Care Units, Arteriography, Endoscopy and GI Bleeding, Orthopedics, Fluid and Electrolytes, and Preand Post¬ operative Care. The section on transplantation is too long (126 pages) but reflects editorial philosophy, namely, to stress what is