MED TECH: The Lay-persons Guide to Today Medical Miracles

Short pieces, alphabetically arranged, describing some of the most recent technical advances in medicine--which will quickly be outdated. Galton (1,001 Health Tips and Guides, etc., etc.) covers his subjects competently and describes not just the obvious, but some real inner sanctum advances (e.g., in angiography, or ""blood vessel imaging,"" which means much better diagnosis of atherosclerosis); he doesn't get into any of the moral questions raised by these advances. There is a lot on artificial body parts: joints, limbs, skin, heart, vision, hearing, bladders can all be replaced or restored with varying degrees of success. While some of these new techniques and devices are life-saving, others are merely conveniences--like a clock-thermometer to make it easier for women to track their ovulatory patterns for birth control. Galton also throws in a few changes in medical thinking: fever is now thought to be an important part of the body's defense against disease, not to be treated by aspirin at the drop of a hat. Some items of interest, then; but not a lasting reference in a quickly developing field.