of the book; and so to keep the description of mere details in subordination to those aspects of disease important in an ordinary physician's practice: indeed the space available for these subjects forbade any attempt to deal with them in full detail. Certain parts of the clinical investigation were likely to be neglected in the plan of such a book, if a more general view of the aspect and physiognomy of the patient were not also supplied to meet this want an introductory chapter on the Physiognomy of Disease has been furnished by Professor Gairdner, who has throughout given much assistance in the rest of the work. A concluding chapter on the Method of performing Post-mortem Examinations has been added by Dr. Joseph Coats: imperfect methods of examining the body after death often lead to the practical loss of most important and laborious clinical investigations. No attempt has been made to follow out any very strict nosological plan or classification of subjects. The guiding considerations have always been convenience and utility. The limitations of space forbade any attempt to deal with the treatment of disease, although occasional allusions are to be found to the effect of remedies. When the nature of a case has been thoroughly mastered, so as to afford a trustworthy guidance to its position in respect of a true diagnosis, the whole literature of medicine is laid open for our assistance in the treatment. Many portions of this book are adapted more for reference than for reading in a continuous manner; but others, it will be easily seen, can be read best in sequence. Some subjects are dealt with more fully than others: this has been determined, in large measure, by considering what were the parts of the clinical inquiry in which the student required most assistance, or in which his present books seemed defective for clinical purposes. Some references have been given at the openings of most of the chapters for the benefit of beginners, who might not know the names of special treatises dealing with the various subjects in detail. To prevent repetition of the titles, a list of In the illustrations the aim has been to supply those which 351 BATH CRESCENT, GLASGOW, August, 1878. J. F. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. FIG. 1. Diurnal range of the temperature in hectic fever, PAGE 71 2. Unusually high temperature just before death, 3. Very low temperature just before death, 73 73 4. Gradual rise of temperature at the beginning of enteric fever, 5. Temperature in tertian ague, 6. Remitting lysis in enteric fever, 7. Collapse of the temperature in phthisis, simulating an (These diagrams of temperature were obtained from 8. Diagram of the various parts of a pulse-wave (based on 13 and 14. Right and left radial pulses from a case of thoracic aneurism, showing a marked difference on the two 17. Pulse-tracing from a case of Bright's disease, showing increased arterial tension, 86 (These pulse-tracings were taken by Dr. Gemmell chiefly 18. The Itch insect-Acarus Scabiei. Female-ventral as- 98 |