Heritable Factors in Disease

THIS book is the outcome of a symposium held on 1st and 2nd December 1977, at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. There is little doubt that genetic factors have become increasingly important in the aetiology of disease, and it has been estimated that some 5 -7%o of the population will suffer from a disorder with a genetic basis. The first five chapters of the book cover basic topics such as pattern of inheritance, sex-linked inheritance, multifactorial inheritance, genetic counselling, and prevention of disease. These are comprehensive and succinct. The chapter on multifactorial inheritance (D.S. Falconer) and on genetic counselling (A.E.H. Emery) are well written. The remaining six chapters are concerned with the genetic factors in diseases of gastrointestinal tract, skin, kidneys, and also the role of such factors in cancer, mental retardation and sexual differentiation. The chapter on genetics and cancer (D.G. Harnden) is concise and contains several useful tables. Overall, the book does not contribute anything new and the reviewer considers that, as there are several recent books available in this field, the demand for this one will be limited. The editing is careless with frequent typing errors, e.g. p.72 "dsiorders", p.116 "antenantal", p.117 "religous", p.121 "nonsteriodal". There are also errors of fact. For example, in discussing hydrocephalus and spina bifida, the author (J. Keith Brown) states "it can certainly occur in parent and child and in aunts, and is more common in inbred communities .... we do not know in fact whether the mode of transmission is most commonly autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant". I do not envisage this book having a wide circulation or being of value either to the student or the qualified doctor. N.C.N.