In an environment in which his residents were exposed to many surgery preceptors, Dr McDermott perceived a need to provide the residents with a degree of uniformity in operative technique. The Atlas of Surgical Procedures evolved from a simple syllabus that he had developed earlier to accomplish that purpose. The text is a slender volume that contains the author's approach to selected operations. Dr McDermott's goal, as outlined in the "Preface," is to consider only certain commonly performed procedures. His omissions and disparate treatment of some sections may raise some questions.
Highlighted throughout the text are practical hints or "cautions" gained from the author's considerable surgical experience. On the whole, the cautions include wise counsel for the surgery resident and represent a vehicle for the translation of the author's experiences into clinical practice.
Accompanying the illustrations are brief and concise narrative descriptions. However, the descriptions and illustrations are often separated