Understanding of the physiologic basis of inflammation appears to progress in a relatively orderly fashion. The contemporary investigator may relate his findings to the work of Clark in the 30s, Landis in the 20s, Starling shortly after, or Metchnikoff before the turn of the century. The general principles and issues seem to have been grasped early, and newer work disrupts them less than in, say, immunology. This sense of continuity is well expressed in this book surveying the subject. It presents recent evidence but is careful to locate it in the context of what has been developed previously.
The author begins his examination of the inflammatory process with considerations of vascular caliber and flow. He proceeds to the smaller vessels and to the morphology, mechanisms, and mediators of altered vascular permeability, and then to leukocyte emigration and chemotaxis. Finally, he considers the winding down of the inflammatory process or its