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Six years have passed since Dr. Bray last revised his handbook of laboratory methods. The present, and fifth, edition offers no departure from the previously established format. Eight chapters embrace the usual fields of clinical pathology, including chemistry, bacteriology, hematology, parasitology, serology, mycology, urinalysis, and surgical pathology; the remaining nine chapters cover material most generally discussed under the headings listed above or in an appendix. It is claimed that the organization chosen improves the teaching value of the presentation, which may well be the case.
Granted the format, several features of the book remain puzzling to me. The general tenor of the discussion seems aimed not at the medical student but at the technician in a small hospital laboratory, who might perforce rely heavily on this volume. This impression is fostered by the limited interpretive discussion and the relatively abundant technical detail. Yet several key points of technique are relegated