Need to see what a jellyfish sting looks like? Want to check whether that holly at the bottom of the garden is poisonous? Need to check the position of the abductor pollicis brevis? Now in its 28th edition, Stedman's Medical Dictionary can answer these questions and many more.
This sturdy volume has been substantially updated, both in subject coverage and the range of illustrations. The updated cover has a more modern look to it, and alphabetical thumb index tabs have been added, which generally take the user to the middle of three letters, e.g. DEF will take you to E. It is obvious that a great deal of thought has gone into making the dictionary easy to use. The front and back endpapers detail Stedman's Medical Dictionary at a Glance. Tips include details of how to distinguish between main entries, subentries, chemical and drug terms and exceptions. Basic building blocks of medical language are also given – from “a” up to “dactyl” on front and endpapers. American spelling is generally used throughout. Main entries are given in a slightly larger font than the definition. Cross‐references are marked in blue, and are flagged up in a very straightforward manner – if there is a cross‐reference the text simply states “see”.
According to the preface, over 5,000 new terms have been added since the 27th edition. In total, there are now over 107,000 medical terms in the dictionary. Over 48 consultants have advised on the content, and a list of the American consultants who contributed is included. Details include post‐nominals, the place of work, and specialist topics. New specialist topics have also been added to the dictionary; these include endocrinology, gastroenterology, rheumatology and geriatrics. This reflects the increasing importance of these subjects.
There are three inserts in the book, easily identified by the fact the page edges are a different colour, the first of which is Human Anatomy. This section includes clear diagrams, with a quite substantial index at the beginning. The section begins at the top of the body and works downwards from the head and neck. A huge amount of information is packed into a very small space and generally manages to do so without being too fussy. The full‐body images of the skeleton, the nervous system and the muscular system appear quite small for the page and some labels could be clearer, but given the level of detail in these pictures this is not entirely surprising. The images are produced by the Anatomical Chart Company. The second insert, which covers anatomic planes and directions, consists mostly of colour images, mainly photographs, with clear captions. In the third insert, stains, again, the main illustrations are photographs. The images cover a range of stains most usually seen in a microbiology laboratory. Images include red blood cells, Lyme Disease, viruses (including flu), parasites, fungi, and a page of bites, stings and infestations.
This edition also includes over fifteen new quick reference appendices, which are almost a separate textbook in their own right. These cover cancer classification systems, BMI, and body surface calculations. Another appendix covers common abbreviations to use (and not to use) in medication orders (prescriptions). Other supporting information includes: weights and measures; temperature equivalents; approximate household measures and weights; comparative temperature scales; a brief article on Greek and Latin in medical terminology; and an English‐Latin glossary. There is also information on suffixes, prefixes, a list of combining forms; and 13 pages of common medical abbreviations. There are five pages of symbols such as arrows and circles, genetic symbols, statistical symbols and what they mean, as well as information on Roman and Arabic numerals. Other appendices include information on laboratory reference range values, which should help to make sense of test results. Information is also given on conditions common tests, such as a bronchoscopy, are attempting to identify. Further information includes normal ranges of motion for joints.
There are also sections on particular aspects of the human body: muscles; nerves; arteries; ligaments; tendons; bones; and anatomy words. Other information includes diagnosis related groups; general cancer classification information; and a list of herbals, giving common name and scientific name, and poisonous plants (common names and Latin names); The final page of the dictionary gives a list of notifiable infectious diseases for the USA, Canada and WHO.
This is an illustrated dictionary, and a wide range of images are used to support the text. There is a good mix of diagrams, photographs, line drawings and artwork. Most are in colour (with some obvious exceptions such as the radiography section) and are clear and easy to read. The illustrations have been updated throughout – particularly apparent in the anatomical pages. The dictionary also includes an index of illustrations, and thirteen pages of illustration sources, ranging from nursing textbooks to biochemistry. The scale of the images has been reduced since the previous edition largely it appears, to incorporate more detail. The anatomy of the heart, for example, anterior view, now includes tags for the hepatic veins, the crista terminals, the limbus and the fossa ovalis amongst others. The entire art programme has also been reviewed by consultants and customers alike, and the art has been updated and enhanced in this edition.
The dictionary is also accompanied by a CD‐ROM of images, which can be used in presentations. The CD‐ROM is easy and straightforward to install (the computer used was running Windows XP). The selection of images is small and most are not overly detailed but generally they are clear. It is also possible to move around using a small blue square, which then allows you to zoom in on that part of the image.
This dictionary represents excellent value for money, and would be an asset to medical students, medical librarians, medical secretaries, and medical libraries alike.
