The Cambridge Historical Dictionary of Disease

A dictionary giving a history and description of the world's major diseases. Library Journal Published in 1993, The Cambridge World History of Human Disease met with overwhelmingly favorable reviews. It was a massive work, with extensive articles written by international scholars. To make a large part of that work available to libraries with more restricted budgets, the editor has taken a slightly condensed version of Part 8, which consists of a history and description of 161 major diseases, and published it as a separate volume. Aimed at the lay reader, the alphabetical entries range from less than a page to approximately seven pages in length and include characteristics of the disease and a brief history. The bibliographies that accompanied each article in the original version have been deleted here, and only a minimal number of articles have been updated. As a result, many new health discoveries and concerns are not covered (e.g., fetal cell research for Parkinson's, the chickenpox vaccine, debates over the destruction of the smallpox stockpile, and the bioterrorism concerns surrounding anthrax), though the entries on AIDS, Alzheimer's, Ebola, and tuberculosis include brief postscripts by the editor that discuss new developments. More recent information on the diseases presented here is easily located in such resources as Gale's Health & Wellness Resource Center database or the Merck Manual: Home Edition. Libraries owning the original Cambridge volume will not need this condensation. Smaller libraries looking for an inexpensive, easy-to-use general history of disease may find it useful; otherwise, this reviewer recommends waiting for a more complete revision.-Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. The Cambridge World History of Human Disease (CWHHD) was first published by Cambridge in 1993. The basis of this Dictionary is Part VIII, the last section of the work, that comprises a history and description of the world's major diseases of yesterday and today in chapters organized alphabetically from "Acquired Immune Deficient Syndrome (AIDS)" to "Yellow Fever." The last section of CWHHD has been fully revised and the essays have been condensed into shorter entries, with up-to-date information on AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, Ebola, and Tuberculosis. The Dictionary also includes three chapters from other parts of the CWHHD on "Heart-Related Diseases," "Cancer," and Genetic Disease." Including contributions from over 100 medical and social scientists worldwide, the Dictionary is a truly interdisciplinary history of medicine and human disease. Kenneth Kiple is a distinguished professor of history at Bowling Green State University. His research and teaching interests include Latin America and the history of medicine, disease, and nutrition. His work has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fulbright Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Institutes of Health. He is the editor of The Cambridge History of World Disease (Cambridge, 1993) and with Kriemhild Cone Ornelas, the award-winning Cambridge World History of Food (Cambridge, 2000). A History And Description Of The World's Major Diseases Of Yesterday And Today, With Chapters Organized Alphabetically. Eighth And Final Work In A Series. Preface -- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (aids)-yellow Fever -- Index. Edited By Kenneth F. Kiple. Includes Indexes. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Also Available In An Electronic Version. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. Condensed version of Part VIII of : The Cambridge World History of Human Disease. Updated information on ; AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, Ebola virus disease and tuberculosis. Also included; three chapters from the CWHHD on: heart related diseases, cancer and genetic disease