A Short History of Clinical Pathology

(Pp. xi + 154; pls. 23. 27s. 6d.) Edinburgh and London: E. & S. Livingstone, 1961. THIS book gives a brief and useful account of the historical development of clinical pathology. The author, like many others, has found himself in some difficulty in attempting to define the extent of what is called "clinical pathology." This branch of medicine is a child of many adoptions and embraces microscopy, pathological anatomy, clinical biochemistry, diagnostic microbiology, and ha!matology. It might indeed be better called "laboratory medicine," as it seeks to provide data obtained in the laboratory which will assist the clinician at the bedside in the diagnosis and management of his patients. In this book the historical evolution of clinical pathology has been presented. To obtain clarity, the four major divisi'ons of laboratory medicine are dealt with separately. There is also a chapter on the clinical laboratory facilities in hospitals in Great Britain. T.his shows how these have developed from relative obscurity of a back room to become a diagnostic hospital laboratory service.. The chapter on the general organisation of clinical pathology today has been contributed by Dr. S. C. Dyke, a former President of the Association of Clinical Pathologists. Few can speak with greater authority than Dr. Dyke, for it was he who was most responsible for the development of the speciality of clinical pathology, and for the improvement in the professional status of the medical specialists who work in this field. In considering the position of clinical pathology, Dr. Dyke very rightly poin-ts out that clinical pathology is not a separate and distinct discipline but an essential part of the 'corpus' of medicine. He also points out that any attempt to separate clinical pathology from the mainstream of medicine is likely to be harmful, not only to clinical pathology but to medicine as a whole. This book is a valuable contribution to the field of the history of medicine. It fills a gap in the available literature. The style is pleasant and agreeable. The illustrations are appropriate and well reproduced. The author is to be conigratuiated on a book which, I am sure, will be read with interest by many and will grace the library shelves of every hospital laboratory.