Delafield and Prudden's Text-Book of Pathology

Abstract

This book was first published in 1885 and at that time it was the first important textbook of pathology in America. The fact that the book has passed through sixteen editions shows the popularity of the work during half a century. The present edition is handsomely bound and contains a wealth of pathologic material useful to pathologists, medical students and physicians. Criticism of such a book is difficult; certain suggestions appear indicated, however, despite the glories of the past. Dr. Wood says in the preface "Many requests have been received by the editor to render the book more modern, but unfortunately modernity is largely only a changing of the labels on the specimen bottles." This attitude allows no place for the existence of ideas, and pathology and its concepts have developed considerably since 1885. As a matter of fact, the best chapter in the book is the one by Deery