Paleopathology; an Introduction to the Study of Ancient Evidences of Disease.

The word Introduction is unduly modest. Dr. Moodie, whose competency has been well demonstrated for a number of years by published articles and demonstrations of original material, has really made an encyclopedic study of an important topic never heretofore handled in the same way. He has followed the geologic record down to about 600 B.C. in the old world and to the late pre-Columbian period in America, and, as he says (Preface): "These studies may be regarded as a synthesis of medical history, paleontology and anthropology." His hope "that the details of ancient pathologic lesions may aid in an understanding of the nature of disease" is reasonable, though its fulfillment depends on the broadness of view of students. The absorbing question of the acquisition of some human diseases from animals in the early ages and the extinction of great groups of animals are some of the problems of paleopathology. As