Kumar (history, Delhi U.) traces the introduction and spread of medical education by British colonial interests, and examines the underlying imperial motives and expediencies. He discusses such issues as the nature and growth of the hospital system and pharmacies, the various kinds of medical services set up to cater to the needs of the imperial masters, the racial discrimination in various spheres, and the Indianization of the medical services. He also describes what the British could have done had their interest been in relieving suffering rather than expanding the empire. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Why do diseases of poverty afflict more people in wealthy countries than in the developing world? In 2011, Dr. Peter J. Hotez relocated to Houston to launch Baylor’s National School of Tropical Medicine. He was shocked to discover that a number of neglected diseases often associated with developing countries were widespread in impoverished Texas communities. Despite the United States’ economic prowess and first-world status, an estimated 12 million Americans living at the poverty level currently suffer from at least one neglected tropical disease, or NTD. Hotez concluded that the world’s neglected diseases—which include tuberculosis, hookworm infection, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis—are born first and foremost of extreme poverty. In this book, Hotez describes a new global paradigm known as “blue marble health,” through which he asserts that poor people living in wealthy countries account for most of the world’s poverty-related illness. He explores the current state of neglected diseases in such disparate countries as Mexico, South Korea, Argentina, Australia, the United States, Japan, and Nigeria. By crafting public policy and relying on global partnerships to control or eliminate some of the world’s worst poverty-related illnesses, Hotez believes, it is possible to eliminate life-threatening disease while at the same time creating unprecedented opportunities for science and diplomacy. Clear, compassionate, and timely, Blue Marble Health is a must-read for leaders in global health, tropical medicine, and international development, along with anyone committed to helping the millions of people who are caught in the desperate cycle of poverty and disease.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

Parasitic relationships are among the most common yet complex associations found in nature. This book makes an important contribution toward integrating parasitology into the mainstream of ecological and evolutionary studies. It delves into a number of key questions: to what extent are parasite-host interactions an escalating evolutionary conflict and, conversely, to what extent has evolution modified this process to facilitate co-existence? The first section of the book deals with whole organisms and populations, since the effects of parasitism are dependent on the densities and distributions of hosts and parasites. The next section considers special cases, such as herbivores and plants. The third part is devoted to physiological and immunological aspects, and the book concludes with an overview from the perspectives of ecology, evolution, and physiology. The work will interest ecologists, evolutionary biologists, parasitologists, entomologists, and epidemiologists.

This second volume describes a further wide variety of parasitic infections and other diseases,including benign and malignant tumors. Some are widespread, others re- stricted to specific geographical or climatic regions; almost all affect countless patients, some with generalized illnesses, others with limited involvement which may nonetheless be serious for the individual. The book contains numerous images at the important stages of the diseases, with photographs and histopathological sections to help understand the clinical progress, and often the response to treatment. These two volumes will be of great value to all who care for patients with tropical diseases, clinicians as well as radiologists.