The Infant and Pre-Schooler: Pediatric Problems in Family Practice,

Abstract

Recognition of family practice as a necessary component of health care is prompting appearance of a number of new books designed to educate generalist in specialty areas. The Infant and Pre-Schooler: Pediatric Problems in Family Practice by McKendry and Bailey is one such effort. In their preface authors make a valid point. They assert that the practicing physician can contribute to expanding fund of medical knowledge by accurately recording what he observes of disease patterns, and especially of response or reaction to drugs. To develop such knowledge, one must report data based on experience with defined primary care populations. General practitioners in Britain, notably Hodgkin 1 and Fry, 2 have made important and original contributions by applying this idea. Unfortunately, McKendry and Bailey do not use their own sound idea and present, instead, a digest of rather conventional and readily available pediatric information. The family physician