Diagnostics urgents: Abdomen.

Abstract

In this edition the author offers an exhaustive differential diagnosis of acute abdominal conditions without consideration of pathogenesis or therapy. The book contains chapters on acute peritonitis, traumas of the abdominal cavity, intraperitoneal hemorrhages, intestinal occlusion, other syndromes such as acute dilatation of the stomach, acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis, intestinal infarcts, torsion and volvulus of the intestine. Discussion of differential diagnosis is exemplified by case histories accompanied by temperature charts. Owing to the presence of many repetitions, several chapters are rather voluminous, 127 pages being devoted to the diagnosis of appendicitis, 89 to perforation of gastric and duodenal ulcers and 41 to Meckel's diverticulitis. While discussing appendicitis, the author applies the term "absurd" to a diagnosis of acute enteritis or spastic colitis. Reproductions of photographs are instructive but not attractive, because of a grayish appearance caused probably by overexposure. Certain omissions have been noticed: for instance, in the discussion of the