摘要:Twenty years ago (1934) the editor of this volume issued a similar work entitled "A Short History of Some Common Diseases" published by the OxfordUniversity Press. That earlier and briefer book has long been out of print. Furthermore, since most of the earlier contributors have since passed away, a new edition in the earlier sense was not possible. As a result a virtually new book and a much better one now takes the place of the earlier work.