The History of Surgical Anesthesia

Gliicksmann showed that scar tissue in wounds is produced by perivascular fibroblasts and not by the resident fibroblasts in the dermis. The section on keratinization contains an excellent summary of the investigations into hair growth patterns of various species. This work has played an important role in our understanding of the process of keratinization although the reason for the intense interest by British workers has been primarily economic. The epidermal barrier and percutaneous absorption were ably discussed by Blank, Schueplein, and Stoughton from the United States. Vickers presented data showing that the stratum corneum acts as a reservoir for topically applied agents, especially corticosteroids. There is a section dealing with recent advances in laboratory techniques which will be useful in dermatology: immunoelectrophoresis and immunodiffusion, fluorescent microscopy, autoradiography, and tissue culture of skin. Each of these techniques was succinctly and adequately described, including its historical development. The bibliography will permit one to set up these important techniques without too much difficulty. This is an excellent volume. It provides a very comprehensive view of the functions of the dermis and epidermis and their relation to each other.