268 liuok

D-
Reviews
tantly, the consistent identification of a layer or area by means of a single line to some point
within it, or simply by a name in the margin opposite, rather than by brackets, seems unneces-
sarily unhelpful. Typical cells and most tissues and organs are for the most part well covered,
though I should like to have seen a low power illustration of the pituitary. On the other hand,
the vaginal smears and the immunocytochemical preparations of four cell types in the islets of
Langerhans are an unusual and welcome addition. There seem to be no significant errors.
J. A. FINDLAY
Atlas of the Rabbit Brain and Spinal Cord. By J. W. SHEK, G. Y. WEN and H. M.
WISNIEWSKI. (Pp. xv+ 139; 235 figures; £111.30.) Basel: Karger. 1986.
As the authors point out in their Introduction there is a widespread need for a comprehensive
atlas of the rabbit brain and spinal cord. This they have provided, with photographs of both
cresyl violet and Loyez stained coronal, horizontal and sagittal sections of brain and transverse
sections of all regions of the spinal cord.
The atlas begins with photographs of various views of the whole brain and of a number of
dissections, all at x 3 magnification. Life size photographs of the skull with one half of the brain
exposed and a mid-sagittal section of the complete head both show very clearly the location of
the brain in situ. These will be particularly useful to anyone beginning to work with the rabbit.
The most disappointing aspect of the atlas is that the brain sections are illustrated at x 3
magnification. The low magnification, combined with small print and long leader lines, makes
the atlas difficult to use. I do not think this difficulty is due solely to incipient presbyopia on the
reviewer's part. The transverse sections of spinal cord ( x 9), one at each root level, are not all
clear due to a grey background into which some of the cresyl violet sections disappear. The
larger magnification transverse sections are well reproduced.
In view of the immaculate histological material available it seems a pity that much larger
magnifications were not used. If one contrasts the rabbit atlas with that of the rat brain by
Pasinos and Watson (New York: Academic Press, 1982) one can see how much the value of the
rabbit atlas would have been enhanced by the use of larger micrographs.
As one would expect from the publishers the atlas is well produced on high quality paper.
From a user's viewpoint an atlas with larger figures on poorer quality paper at a considerably
lower price would have been more practical.
R. R. STURROCK

The Principles and Practice of Electron Microscopy. By I. M. WArr. (Pp. 303; $49.)
Cambridge University Press. 1985.
The author of this volume has had to provide a functioning EM service, mainly for materials
science-orientated users. He provides a thoroughly competent introduction to the construction and
operation of all kinds of electron beam-based imaging and analysis systems, including all the
common modes of TEM and SEM. Outlines of specimen preparation procedures are similarly
inclusive. Because it is not only dealing with the realms regarded as classically biological, this
slim volume would probably be better starting material for anatomists entering the EM field
than the specialised texts produced by cloned kinsfolk. Could be a recommended starting point
for B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. students before moving on to more detailed, specialised texts.
A. BOYDE

Orban's Oral Histology and Embryology. 10th edition. Edited by S. N. BHASKAR.

(Pp. 462; many figures; £38.) Oxford: Blackwell. 1986.
Orban is not a book that changes quickly. The tenth edition is a little wider and a little shorter
than the ninth, but almost the same thickness. These changes are due to a different format,
double column instead of single and I suspect a change in printing technology. The latter
appears to be a bad move; black and white micrographs were in many cases paler in the review
copy than in the ninth edition.
I suspect that printing technology is also responsible for several apparent changes which turn
out to be re-ordering of familiar illustrations. However, new illustrations have been included in
places, often replacing artists' impressions by electron micrographs, and several sections, notably
Chapter 4 on dentin, have been extensively revised. In most other sections minor revisions have
 Bouok Reviews 269
occurred and new references have been included. Chapter 8 on the maxilla and mandible, how-
ever, seems to be almost identical to the 1953 third edition.
The tenth edition of any book is bound to be a little untidy. The smart new typography here
is let down a little by the line drawings. Some of these date from 1929 and are based on pencil
sketches whilst others are much newer and in entirely different styles and by different hands.
Unification of these would be a worthwhile (though no doubt expensive) improvement.
D. R. JOHNSON

Textbook ofFunctional Anatomy of Speech, Language and Hearing. By W. H. PERKINS

and R. D. KENT. (Pp. xii + 505; many illustrations; £19.50 softback, £34.00
hardback.) London: Taylor & Francis. 1986.
This 416 page book has an unusual format, being 11 inches wide by 8-5 tall. It is designed to be
used as a study book, replacing the traditional notes taken by most students during courses and
enabling them to listen to the lecturer/teacher. Each chapter is followed by a self-study section,
in which the student is presented with a review glossary, a series of self-study drawings which he
is required to colour and/or label, and a series of statements for completion.
The book is divided overall into two sections, one on speech muscle systems and acoustics,
and the second on neural control and auditory systems. Each section is further divided into
8 chapters. Successive chapters are devoted independently to the anatomy and physiology of
particular components of the speech and hearing systems, thus perpetuating the classical dicho-
tomy of these two components of knowledge unnecessarily.
The text is written in an easy style, using English rather than anatomical terminology, although
I was surprised to see the retention of 'origin' and 'insertion' in preference to attachment
Despite the outwardly simple approach, the book contains a greater degree of detail than is
included in the courses for speech therapy of which I have experience.
The numerous illustrations are line drawings which in many places are unclear, giving no
impression of the third dimension that is so essential in the understanding of anatomy. I feel
that most students would need to refer to a better illustrated book to understand the com-
plexities of the anatomy of, for instance, the intrinsic muscles of the larynx. The illustrations
were drawn by Kyle Perkins, the book designed by Christopher Perkins, all suggesting that the
production is a family affair!
The book is completed by 5 appendices which suggest further reading, explain anatomical
terms, summarise fetal development, list audiovisual materials available and provide the answers
for the self-study sections. Strangely there is no index!
In conclusion I find this book to be unsuitable for the courses for speech therapists of which
I have experience and I cannot see another market towards which this book could be directed in
this country. It does not adequately illustrate the anatomical components and, by virtue of its
unusual approach, deters the teacher from adopting any approach to teaching other than that
used in the book. The lack of an index makes it useless in any reference context.
IAN WHITMORE

Clinical Anatomy for Dentistry. By R. D. LONGMORE and D. A. McRAE. (Pp. ix +

153; many figures; £9.50.) Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 1985.
This book is an excellent idea, representing an attempt to integrate the teaching of basic science
with its clinical applications. This approach is particularly important in dental education, where
the interposition of a purely mechanistic year of technical instruction too often forces the
teaching of the scientific basis of the subject away from its clinical fulfilment.
The book is divided into 15 short chapters, each giving a fairly brief summary of the salient
anatomical features of regions of the head and neck, with Chapter 11 being devoted to the
functional anatomy of the oral cavity. Each section concludes with a short examination of the
relevant clinical considerations pertaining to the region or structures under examination. The
development (and its clinical relevance) of important structures is also mentioned.
However it is clear that in a textbook of this size, all these aspects of so many topics can only
be dealt with in a somewhat superficial way. The inclusion of an introductory chapter on the
development and structure of dental tissues seems to highlight this problem, being particularly
inadequate. The use of outdated terminology (glands of Serres, dental sac and Vidian nerve)