This volume is an encyclopedic compendium of most of the recent work that relates to surgical management of wounds. The first chapter on normal repair by Dr Hunt and Dr Van Winkle is particularly well done from the standpoint of bringing to the surgeon up-to-date information on biological principles that relate to management of wounds. Some of the chapters on special tissues are not quite as complete, but do give the reader a sound basis for clinical practice.
Strong points in the work include excellent printing, easy-to-read prose, and superb illustrations in the Scientific American format. The only weakness, in my judgment, is lack of detail in basic science. Basic data that provide a strong basis for speculation, such as the cause of keloids and hypertrophic scar, are not always included; yet, the reader gets the impression that data are available to support statements in the text. One example of