gain some familiarity with this important area. The
Although some of the information
book is well produced, the articles are clearly written,
and every effort has been made to avoid the overlap
among authors that is so frequently found in multi-
author volumes.
JOHN GERGELY, MD
Boston, Massachusetts
ETHICS IN MEDICINE:
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES AND
CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS
Edited Stanley J. Reiser, Arthur J. Dyck, and William
J. Curran, 667 pp, illus, M I T Press, Cambridge, M A ,
1977. $15.00 (paper)
This is a compendium of essays on ethical issues in
medicine. It is divided into eight sections, each with an
introduction by the editors. The topics covered are the
doctor-patient relationship, the moral bases of medical
ethics, regulation of medicine, truth-telling, experi-
mentation on humans, procreative decisions (popula-
tion policy, genetic control, abortion, and fetal
experimentation), suffering and dying, and problems
in the provision of medical care. The latter six sections
are followed by illustrative case histories which serve as
a basis for discussion of the topics covered.
The essays were chosen to provide a diversity of
opinions on each subject. They are written by leading
thinkers in the field, of both contemporary and earlier
periods, and all have been published previously. The
compilation serves the useful purpose of making these
papers easily available to students, and the book grew
out of courses taught by the editors. The illustrative
cases are well chosen.
I would have preferred longer introductory state-
ments that were more analytical of the material con-
tained in each section. The editors have merely
described the essays and put them into context. I also
think the section on the moral bases of medical ethics is
too short, particularly as regards the attention it pays
to philosophical ethics. Mill, Ross, Rawls, and Hart are
not sufficient to represent the foundations of Western
ethics.
The book, nonetheless, is a valuable tool for teachers
of ethics in medicine, because it brings together a great
many important writings. It is a good starting point for
anyone interested in the field.
LESTER S. ADELMAN, MD
Boston, Massachusetts
ORTHOPAEDIC NEUROLOGY
By Stanley Hoppenfeld, 131 pp, illus, J. B. Lippincott Co,
Philadelphia, PA, 1977. $15.00
This profusely illustrated manual provides a diagnostic
guide to neurologic levels. The author states in the
preface that the text is intended for those who wish to
understand more clearly the clinical concepts behind
256 MUSCLE & NERVE M a y / J u n 1978
neurologic levels.
presented has been oversimplified in a stylized manner,
overall the text is clear, concise, and beautifully illus-
trated.
The book is divided into two parts: nerve root lesion
and spinal cord lesion by neurologic level. However, the
book’s title, Orthopaedic Neurology, could be misleading.
The author did not intend to write a textbook of
orthopedic neurology; rather, he has provided a well-
written, beautifully illustrated manual that serves as a
diagnostic guide to the specific neurologic levels. To
this reviewer, the book’s greatest value lies in its
simplified and stylized illustrations. The author should
be complimented on making this highly visual ap-
proach possible. I can recommend this manual to a
wide spectrum of readers: orthopedic, neurosurgical,
neurologic, physical medicine, and family practice
residents as well as physical therapists. I further suggest
that a copy be kept for general reference in all
emergency rooms.
WON H. OH, MD, FACS
Boston, Massachusetts
FUNCTION AND METABOLISM OF
PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN THE
CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL
NERVOUS SYSTEMS
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Volume 72
Edited C. Porcellati, L. Amaducci, C. Calli, 412 pp,
illus, Plenum Press, New York, 1976. $36.50
This collection of 30 papers presented at the Interna-
tional Satellite Meeting on Function and Metabolism
of Phospholipids in Central and Peripheral Nervous
Systems, held in Tuscany in August 1975, is an am-
bitious contribution to the field of phospholipid re-
search. Spanning the realms of membrane structure,
lipid turnover, and pharmacologic and behavioral roles
of phospholipids, this volume manages to survey an
enormous range of material without sacrificing detail.
These factors ensure its value to researchers of diverse
interests and at different stages in their careers.
Those concerned with the metabolism of phos-
pholipids will be particularly gratified by the theoreti-
cal and experimental analysis that Horrocks and his
colleagues provide regarding the calculation and inter-
pretation of phospholipid turnover experiments. Those
readers with a particular interest in neuropharmacol-
ogy will find the contributions of Rowe and Ellis and of
Abdel-Latif to be particularly insightful reviews of the
actions of neurotransmitters on cyclic nucleotides and
membrane phospholipid turnover. Additional note-
worthy papers include the Suns’ review of “Functional
Roles of Phospholipids of Synaptosomal Membranes,”
Dawson and Gould’s views of “Renewal of Phos-
pholipids in the Myelin Sheath,” and Thompson’s
“Cytidine Diphosphate Diglyceride of Bovine Brain
and Liver: Isolation and Characterization.”