Children's Surgery ─ A Worldwide History

Retired pediatric surgeon Raffensperger, who accepts some help from specialists, both in the historical chapters and the chapters on specific conditions and treatments, explains that pediatric surgery was not a specialty on its own until the middle of the 20th century, but as far back as ancient Egypt, India, and China and down the ages some individual healers specialized in children. Among the historical topics are aboriginal surgery, Byzantium to Baghdad, some new birth defects, and children's surgery comes of age. Then the history of surgical treatment is described for such conditions as appendicitis, abdominal wall defects, hydrocephalus and spina bifida, and co-arctation of the thoracic aorta. A general bibliography augments the end-note references. Annotation Ac2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

John G. Raffensperger, M.D., a retired pediatric surgeon, is the author of numerous books on pediatric surgery.