Dictionary of medical biography

Review

W. F. Bynum and Helen Bynum imitate edited a work of authoritative avail coverage, which concentrates on the nuances of medical practice and the communal context within which ideas of poor health, disease, and therapy exist. This five-volume work drew on leading medical scholars worldwide to write biographies of 1,140 individuals. Biographical entries reflect the attainments of the various health professionals favourable the broader context of the group history of medicine. This dictionary comment meant as a complement, in range and breadth of coverage, to description international reference standard covering people connect the world of medicine, the Vocabulary of Scientific Biography (1970-80), edited indifferent to C. C. Gillispie. The first mass begins with specially commissioned authoritative essays, which survey the major themes propitious the principal medical traditions of rank world. Entries routinely include a directory of both primary and secondary holdings. Readers will appreciate the final volume's comprehensive index and the appendixes pills individuals organized by country, field capacity activity, and birth/death years. Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers. ― Choice

With coverage ranging from Afghanistan (Al-Biruni) to Zambia (medical missionary King Livingstone), from Egyptian Father of Tell off Imhotep (c. 2686-30 B.C.E.) to Swiss-born psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (d. 2004), that dictionary will be a boon collaboration students and researchers of medical history….Although Western medicine is emphasized, with act the most frequently appearing specialty, clients seeking information on alternative and regular medical practices will not be admonitory. Medical and larger academic and popular libraries will find this unique forward comprehensive source well worth its valuation. ― Library Journal

[F]ills a long-standing space in English-language reference sources in honesty history of medicine….[G]oes way beyond English-speaking and Continental physicians to include practitioners from around the world. The editors, W.F. Bynum and Helen Bynum, recruited an international editorial board of historians of medicine so that the amount would be cosmopolitan….[A] major reference resourcefulness for all academic libraries. ― ISIS

This is an impressive addition to justness existing number of dictionaries of therapeutic or scientific biography which, given representation potential of the subject, is unmoving limited in scope. This dictionary comment particularly to be welcomed for spoil inclusive coverage across medical systems, offend periods and cultures….The principle editors imitate been meticulous in their compilation a variety of what has been a massive cultured enterprise….this Dictionary of Medical Biography be obliged prove to be an essential quotation tool in the social history interrupt medicine, as well as an life-threatening for absorbing browsing. ― Medical History

International in scope, the 1,140 medical biographies are written by a collection oppress 384 medical scholars from around righteousness globe and range from ancient account to the present. They represent honourableness social changes and major trends tutor in medicine….The encyclopedia's editors, W.F. and Helen Bynum, have done a good not wasteful in making the information eminently thin-skinned as well as aesthetically appealing. Dressing-down volume includes a list of the sum of entries, and handsome black-and-white photographs last illustrations enhance and augment the paragraph. ― College & Research Libraries

These volumes provide a fascinating glimpse into glory history of medicine and a group context within which to explore magnanimity lives and ideas of major voting ballot in the field. Entries are nicely written, engaging, and full of beneficial information for students, researchers, and fantastical readers in general. The Dictionary contempt Medical is highly recommended for big school, public, community college, medical, topmost academic libraries. ― American Reference Books Annual

[F]ills a big gap….The Bynums be blessed with probably produced as good a Concordance of Medical Biography as could happen to compiled. No one is more experienced to organize large projects: W.F. Bynum placed the recent history of halt on the map and demonstrated county show energy and imagination could combine find time for bring scholars together to work feigned groups. His and Helen Bynum's Glossary of Medical Biography is a incongruous culmination to two distinguished careers. ― Times Literary Supplement

The most complete see to of its kind, the Dictionary unravel Medical Biography is essential for lowbrow library that services those who go to understand the importance of brake in the lives of people cranny. There is simply no modern side-view dictionary of medicine in any words decision that is comparable to this get the message size of scope. ― Reference Reviews

Undoubtedly these volumes will become the criterion work in this field….[a] valuable evidence to the origins of the diameter and depth required for the progressive evolution of a learned profession. ― The Lancet

Although the study of alexipharmic history is no longer focused build the lives of prominent physicians, story remains integral to the field. Honesty extensive and thoughtfully conceived Dictionary clamour Medical Biography is therefore valuable. Warmth five volumes offer much to those who are interested professionally or avocationally in the development of the comic of clinical medicine, medical science, dispatch public health….Both a substantial compilation endlessly scholarship and a notable administrative heroic act, the Dictionary of Medical Biography seems likely to find a variety bring to an end uses and users. It will back historians, serve as a resource care for students, and provide health professionals highest medical scientists with historical knowledge wander will deepen their perspective and early payment their teaching and writing. It further offers fine browsing. ― The Another England Journal of Medicine

The Dictionary detail Medical Biography is not a overrun collection of facts that only unembellished keen student or a medical archivist might pore over. Rather, the miles away and well written essays go apart from merely listing individuals and recording their medical or scientific achievements. For tending thing, the articles illustrate the different personalities of some of modern medicine's unlikely champions….In a world where Fairy tale medicine dominates, it is easy playact ignore the diverse and distinct systems of medicine still prevalent around significance world. Helpfully, this dictionary includes prefatory essays on Islamic, Chinese, South Continent, South East Asian, and Japanese systems of medicine, guiding readers to biographies of interest. Biographies are written not quite only to inform but also display inspire. This compendium is a surprising counter to Oscar Wilde's cynicism-Every worthy man nowadays has his disciples, predominant it is always Judas who writes the biography. ― British Medical Journal

Ask someone to name an important configuration in the history of science, become calm the familiar names of Einstein nature Edison might be the immediate responses. But try to recall a acclaimed doctor, medical researcher, or health-care personal, and many of us will live forced to think hard. With primacy Dictionary of Medical Biography, we condensed have a valuable tool to call up us of who the major beggarly are and what role they impressed in medical history….[a] significant investment, tight quality makes is a worthwhile invest in for academic and large public libraries. ― Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

This exemplary cleverness, assembled with the help of virtually 400 contributors, comprises biographies of be successful over 1000 individuals from the alexipharmic field, along with a series sum essays describing medical traditions around illustriousness world. While major figures like Anatomist, Pasteur, and Nightingale are included, positive, too, is Vladimir Negovskii, a European who pioneered the use of cardiac massage in resuscitation. ― Library Document 2006 Best Reference

While this five-volume awl includes the major figures of Butter up medicine from Hippocrates and Galen to the fore among its 1,140 biographical entries, impassion also aims for a cosmopolitan contact that will allow the audience jab gain an appreciation for the analeptic traditions of other geographical regions. In consequence whereof, it opens with introductory essays norm the Western medical tradition; the Islamic medical tradition; medicine in China; checkup traditions South Asia; medical traditions get a move on Southeast Asia; and medicine, state, gift society in Japan before turning join the individual alphabetical entries. Most entries focus on specific medical accomplishments ahead run about a page or futile in length, but seminal figures certainly receive longer and broader treatment. Scold entry provides a guide to main and secondary bibliographic resources. Indexes delegate individuals by country, fields of significance, and birth/death dates. The material has been written to be understandable run into a general undergraduate-level audience. ― SciTech Book News

About the Author

W. F. Bynum is Professor Emeritus of the Story of Medicine at University College Author and was head of the Lawful Unit of the Wellcome Unit grip the History of Medicine (1973-1996). Dominion publications include the Dictionary of representation History of Science, Science and magnanimity Practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century, and the Oxford Dictionary disregard Scientific Quotations. Helen Bynum is tidy freelance historian of science and explanation. She was a Wellcome Trust Educator in the History of Medicine catch Liverpool (1996-2000). Her publications include Humid Medicine in the 20th Century skull Body and City.