BOOK REVIEWS
a useful handbook for the hospital di-
rector planning to initiate or to re-
organize a volunteer program. The final
chapter contributes a succinct statement
of ten guiding principles for a volunteer
program of services to the psychiatric
patient.
The problems in the development of
constructive volunteer programs of serv-
ices to the psychiatric patient in the
communitv are analyzed in the report
based on topic 4. The general conclu-
sion reached is that there is urgent need
for creative experimentation and for the
initiation of studies, scientifically based,
of volunteer programs oriented to serv-
ices of the patient in the community.
The appendixes are a valuable infor-
mation source to those concerned with
volunteer services. Included are: tables
showing spread in this country of volun-
teers serving psychiatric patients, insti-
tutions concerned, and kinds of pro-
grams. A variety of source materials,
such as data on medical care, disability
insurance and workmen's compensation
for volunteers, and tax deductibility of
-olunteers' expenses are given; as well
as job descriptions for volunteer direc-
tors. an extensive bibliography, and
available volunteer program manuals.
This reader found a significant weak-
ness in the study. The report stresses
the importance of using the volunteer's
service as the unique contribution of
an interested outsider who comes to help
with the program, not to substitute for
shortages in paid staff. However, back-
ground that is essential for review of
volunteer services with the psychiatric
patient. or delineation of the necessary
services by paid staff who provide ade-
quate service to the patient is not pre-
sented. That framework is necessary to
define the pluses in services that fall
within the proper function of the volun-
teer in the program. Without this basic
differentiation, it would be difficult for
the volunteer to be in a position to learn
enough about unmet services to fulfill a
FEBRUARY, 1960
major function of the volunteer cited in
the report as: "to act to improve avail-
able services and meet unmet needs by
sponsoring and supporting social legisla-
tion, budgets, .
MARION F. LANGER
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COMMUNICABLE DIS-
EASES-Edited by Ahmed Mohamed Kamal.
Alexandria, Egypt: Imprimerie du Commerce
(Anglo Egyptian Bookshop), 1958. 567 pp.
This book was written primarily for
the use of local medical and public
health students. Only those communica-
ble diseases important from the Egyptian
point of view are discussed. These dis-
eases are, however, of concern in other
parts of the world, and the book should
prove useful to a wider audience, espec-
cially in areas with similar climatic, geo-
graphical, and socioeconomic conditions.
In the United States and Canada the
book can be recommended to those
schools of public health receiving stu-
dents educated in Egypt. The faculty of
these schools might wish to know details
of elementary information and some-
times misinformation which the students
may have. Furthermore. consultants in
epidemiology of communicable diseases,
proceeding to Egypt or neighboring
countries, could undoubtedly read the
book with profit to learn where they
need to start.
The opening chapter briefly indicates
the modern concept of epidemiological
practice as applied to noninfectious and
infectious disease, both in field research
and in evaluation of public health prac-
tices. The remainder of the book is con-
cerned only with the epidemiology of
infectious diseases.
Succeeding general chapters give ex-
amples of the mechanisms involved in
the spread of infectious diseases, a short
discussion on immunity, and some prin-
ciples on control of diseases including
disinfection and disinfestation. Few
would agree with the statements that im-
munity after typhoid fever lasts only a
271
few years and that yellow fever vaccine
gives life-long protection. If this gen-
eral section were written more criticallv.
the volume would be more useful.
Five-sixths of the book is devoted to
the epidemiology, prevention. and con-
trol of some 30 diseases now found in
Egypt or potentially important from the
viewpoint of international traffic. The
latter are cholera, plague, smallpox. and
yellow fever, the last never having been
present although the country is con-
sidered a receptive area for yellow fever.
The cholera epidemic in 1947 is con-
sidered at some length. The mechanism
of the introduction of this disease is still
not proved, but the statement (Page
556) that the water of the Ismailia Canal
was no doubt infected through an act of
sabotage does little to advance studies
of this serious outbreak.
BOOKS RECEIVED
Listing in this column acknowvledges the receipt of books and our appreciation to the senders.
Space and the interests of readers wvill permit review of some, but not all, of the books listed.
ACCEPTED DENTAL REMEDIES 1960. Chicago.
Ill.: American Dental Association, 1960.
226 pp. Price. $3.00.
AMNERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND FEDERAL RE-
SEARCH. Charles V. Kidd. Cambridge,
Mass.: Harvard Uni-versity Press, 1959. 272
pp. Price, $6.00.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPYY OF STAPHYLOCOC-
CAL INFECTIONS. Reprinted from the Ameri-
can Journal of Nursing, Vol. 59, December,
1959. Mary R. Lester. New York, N. Y.:
American Journal of Nursing, 1959. 25 pp.
Price, .S.25.
BIRTH AND DEATH REGISTRATION IN MIASSA-
CHUSETTS 1639-1900. Robert Gutman. Newv
York, N. Y.: Milbank Mlemorial Fund, 1959.
115 pp. Price, $1.00.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR.
Transactions of the Second Conference,
February 22-25, 1')59. Mary A. B. Brazier,
272
Especially since the opening of the
Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt has occupied
a ke- place in international traffic and
particularly for those coming from Asia.
parts of which still have endemic cholera.
plague and smallpox. Therefore. it is
fitting that the role of the WHO In-
ternational Sanitary Regulations in the
international control of disease should be
fully discussed in a later chapter.
It would be desirable in a subsequent
printing to proofread the text more care-
fully, especially the syllable divisions at
the end of lines. The book will prove
useful to many readers concerned with
the diseases described because of the
orderly epidemiological approach to
each one. Those wishing to consult
original papers of authors mentioned
will miss the usual references. There is
an index. ROBERT I. HoOD
Ph.D.. Editor. New York, N. Y.: Josiah
-Macy. Jr. Foundation, 1959. 358 pp. Price.
$4.75.
DICTIONARY OF ATOMIC TER-MINOLOGY. Eng-
glish-German-French-Italian. Edited by Lore
Lettenmeyer. New York, N. Y.: Philosophi-
cal Library, 1959. 298 pp. Price, $6.00.
DIGEST OF OFFICIAL ACTIONS 1846-1958. Vol. 1.
F. J. L. Blasingame. Chicago, Ill.: American
Medical Association, 1959. 779 pp. Price.
$5.00.
DOCTOR STRAND. Boris Sokoloff. Newv York.
N. Y.: Vantage Press, 1960. 205 pp. Price.
$3.50.
EV ALUATION OF PROTEIN NUTRITIO-N. A Re-
port of the Food and Nutrition Board. Wash-
ington, D. C.: National Academy of Sci-
ences, National Research Council, 1959. 61
pp. Price, $2.00.
VOL. 50. NO. 2, A.J.P.H.