B O O K REVIEWS

Die Gesehwlilste der Mundhi~hle, der Kiefer u n d des Gesiehtes. By AUGUST LINDEMANN, Director der Westdeutschen Kieferklinik, and OTTO LORENZ, Oberarzt der chirurgischen Abteilung. Pp. 283. (Stuttgart: Wissenschaftliche Verlags- gesellschaft M.B.H. 195o.)

In this book on tumours of the mouth, jaws, and face there is a very fine display of clinical photographs, operative specimens, and radiographs, but almost no photo- micrographs have been included : it is, in fact, a book for the surgeon rather than the pathologist, and concerns itself with the practical problems of diagnosis chiefly, and to some extent with prognosis and treatment. I t is perhaps this practical outlook which has led the authors to rather firmer statements as to the genesis of various kinds of turnout thai1 existing evidence appears to justify. In some parts the views expressed are not those now generally held here ; for example, a belief in the importance of embryonic rests in the mtiology of neoplasms, in the presence of a myxoma in salivary tumours, or in the grouping of the mixed salivary tumour as a teratoma. The best feature of the book is the valuable survey, admirably illustrated, of both common and rare conditions, neoplasms or not, affecting the mouth and jaws and their discussion from the point of view of differential diagnosis. Some of the conditions shown are surprising, such as two cases of polymorph-celled sarcoma arising from dental cysts. One would appreciate a photograph of the microscopical sections of such cases, and indeed throughout many surgeons will find it difficult to profit by the histological descriptions without illustrations. The sections on treatment deal with general principles rather than detailed operative technique and display some gratifying results in which plastic surgery has been employed.

I t is clear that the authors have a most extensive experience of their subject, and any surgeon much concerned with the surgery of the jaws will find interest in studying their book, especially from the standpoint of diagnosis. A slight difficulty to be overcome in some parts is the terminology, where the meaning now attached to such terms as giant-cell sarcoma and cylindroma may not be clear to British readers. The authors have generally adhered to the traditional German usage, believing that a reform of the terminology should await further scientific studies.

M. A. R.

Cranioplasty. By DAVID L. REEVES, A.B., M.D. Pp. x + I I 9 , with 71 illustrations. (Springfield, II1., U.S.A. : C. C. Thomas. 195o.) 22s. 6d. net.

This is a monograph in the American Lectures in Surgery, publication No. 39 of the American Lecture series.

This small book is a well-presented survey of the various modern techniques used in the repair of skull defects. The different materials used are described and discussed. References are made to the main indications for operation, and a chapter is devoted to descriptions of illustrative cases. The author favours repair by tantalum, and in the series of 196 cases quoted there were no post-operative deaths and the results are described as gratifyingly successful. As is usual with many American works, there is a magnificent bibliography, and in this case over 400 references are quoted.

The index is adequate and the paper and illustrations are of high quality. There is nothing outstandingly new or original in the book, but it is a useful survey

of the literature on the subject and most of the ordinary techniques in use are described. G . F .