A Brief History of Disease, Science, and Medicine: From the Ice Age to the Genome Project

AORN Journal, March, 2004 by Linda M. Golobich

A Brief History of Disease, Science, and Medicine: From the Ice Age to the Genome Project Michael T. Kennedy 2003, 526 pp $29.95 paperback

Any book titled A Brief History of ... usually is anything but brief; however, this book is a very readable survey of the history of medicine without being a tedious reference tome. The author is a former vascular surgeon and a current clinical faculty member at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The book is intended for a premedical or first-year medical student, nurse, or lay person who has knowledge of science and medicine. The author combines factual data with anecdotal and personal references through which readers gain a perspective of the origin and development of the medical profession.

The chapters are in chronological order beginning with a brief overview of prehistoric and ancient Greek and Roman contributions. Lesser-known discoveries from India, China, and Islamic and Arabic cultures also are discussed. The remainder of the book covers major medical discoveries and advancements from the European Renaissance and Reformation to current treatments and medical economics.

Each chapter contains topic subheadings. Discussions in the chapters range from the biographical data and contributions of specific clinicians and scientists to general information about disease treatment and medical discoveries. The author is adept at portraying the clinicians and scientists as people with passion for their work who also have personality flaws, addictions, and, occasionally, tragic outcomes. He makes them human and real.

Various diseases and conditions are not only described in clinical terms but also are offered in the context of their historical and societal impact. The writing is clear and concise. The reader is able to gain perspective on a particular topic without having extensive previous knowledge. As expected, the history of medicine encompasses a wide range of specialties and disciplines. Extensive footnotes listed at the end of each chapter and postscripts provide references for further inquiry. An index of terms and an index of names allow easy access to specific topics.

Of particular interest to perioperative nurses is the extensive discourse on the evolution of asepsis, anesthesia, and various surgical procedures. The chapter titled "The century of the surgeon" chronicles the progression of surgery and anesthesia during the nineteenth century. A detailed discussion about Florence Nightingale credits her as the founder of biostatistics and hospital infection control, as well as the founder of the nursing profession. Her efforts to improve military health care cam statistical analysis of disease led to reform of sanitary systems, hospitals, and nursing practice. Two other chapters, "The development of modern surgery" and "Cardiac surgery" detail more recent advancements. Perioperative nurses will recognize the accomplishments of W T Bovie (electrosurgery), Tom Fogarty (the Fogarty catheter), John Charnley (hip prosthesis and laminar flow), and John Gibbon (the heart-lung machine).

Current medical school and nursing programs do not allow the luxury of time to learn the history of the profession. This book is useful as a reference work, but it also provides relevant information and insights to allow readers to understand where medicine has been and where it is going.

This book is available from The Writers' Collective, 780 Reservoir Ave, Suite 243, Cranston, RI 02910, http://www.writerscollective.org.

LINDA M. GOLOBICH

RN

CHANDLER, ARIZ