Medicine

Featuring the work of many of the great medical pioneers, including Florence Nightingale and Joseph Lister, this fascinating illustrated guide brings to life the history of medicine from ancient times to the present day. Twenty thousand years ago, Stone Age man cut holes in patients' skulls to release evil spirits. Today, doctors diagnose diseases and injuries affecting the brain by using magnetic imaging to 'slice' through the head and produce 3-D pictures on a computer screen. But while such sophisticated medical technology is now widely used, doctors continue to follow principles laid down in the 5th century BC by the Greek physician Hippocrates, and to prescribe drugs extracted from plants such as foxglove, whose healing properties have been recognised for hundreds of years. Illustrated with photographs of diagnostic techniques, medical procedures, and surgical instruments past and present, Medicine is a remarkable guide to the fight against disease. Here is a spectacular, thought-provoking, and highly informative guide to the fascinating story of medicine. Superb colour photographs of medical instruments and experiments, plus modern internal imaging, offer a unique 'eyewitness' view of the amazing discoveries that have transformed our understanding of medical science.See a set of false teeth from ancient Rome; how amputations were carried out before anaesthetic; what the first microscopes looked like; what a crash cart is used for; how the periwinkle is used in the treatment of leukaemia. Learn how Charles II of England attempted to cure more than 92,000 people of scrofula; how pills were made in the 19th century; how the use of antiseptics became widespread; what happens during microsurgery.Discover how unsuccessful physicians in ancient Egypt had their hands cut off; how black ants were once used instead of stitches to seal wounds and why they work; what went on at a 19th-century laughing-gas party; and much, much more. "An innovative series that combines visual brilliance with scientific discovery."Bookshop Education"Whether in search of a quick answer or interested in delving into a topic in detail, youngsters will find that these information-packed books fill their needs handily."Publishers Weekly"The public longing for illustrated explanation accounts for the international success of DK’s Eyewitness Science series, which are produced primarily for young readers but also sell well to adults."The Financial Times"...draws the readers in with gorgeous pictures, then painlessly drip feeds information."New Scientist"Pictures and text work together to offer a lucid chronicle of pertinent experiments, discoveries, and inventions from ancient times to the present."Publishers Weekly