Ernest Starling (1866-1927) was pre-eminent in the golden age of British Physiology. His name is usually associated with his ???Law of the Heart, ??? but his discovery of secretin (the first hormone whose mode of action was explained) and his work on capillaries were more important contributions. He coined the word 'hormone' one hundred years ago. His analysis of capillary function demonstrated that equal and opposite forces move across the capillary wall--an outward (hydrostatic) force and an inward (osmotic) force derived from plasma proteins.
Starling??'s contributions include:
*Developing the "Frank-Starling Law of the Heart," presented in 1915 and modified in 1919.
*The Starling equation, describing fluid shifts in the body (1896)
*The discovery of secretin, the first hormone, with Bayliss (1902) and the introduction of the concept of hormones (1905).

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

In this fascinating and richly illustrated book, John Henderson takes us into the Renaissance hospitals of Florence, recreating the enormous barn-like wards and exploring the lives of those who received and those who administered treatment there. Drawing on an exceptional range of visual and documentary evidence, Henderson overturns the popular view of the pre-industrial hospital as a hellish destination for the dying poor. To the contrary, hospitals of the era developed specialized, professional care; became important centers of artistic patronage; and served a large patient population, only ten percent of whom died during their stay. The book explores the civic role of Renaissance hospitals, their beautiful architecture and interior design, and their methods of medical treatment that continue to influence healthcare practices today.

Recalling Gurdjieff's intent for his first series: "To destroy, mercilessly, without any compromises whatsoever, in the mentation and feelings of the reader, the beliefs and views, by centuries rooted in him, about everything existing in the world." For years Gurdjieff's followers have been working, reading, struggling to understand his writing. We are like miners chipping away at the rocks of his books, seeking the dog he so carefully buried. That "dog" has been waiting patiently to be disinterred, but we have been digging with the wrong tools. A few new "shovels" and "picks" which may be helpful are suggested in this book. They are here for the taking; use them as you will. As a word of caution, though, be careful when you pull the dog out. He can be, at times, a bit wild. And let's face it, he's probably hungry after fifty years underground. That is to say, that dog could jump up and bite the legs right out from under some of your more treasured beliefs - or it might even bite you somewhere dearer. The purpose of the second series is "To acquaint the reader with the material required for a new creation, and to prove the soundness and good quality of it." It is a ripening of time. The seeds of Gurdjieff's Picture-form language have been planted for over five decades, and are now ready to burst through the soil of our Psyche to reveal the holographic images of the messages he intended for us. And the purpose of the third series: "To assist the arising in the mentation and in the feelings of the reader, of a veritable, nonfantastic representation not of that illusory world which he now perceives, but of the world existing in reality." "And with regard to languages (Russian andEnglish)," Gurdjieff said, "both these languages are like the dish which is called "Moscow Solinka," and into which everything goes except you and me, in fact everything you wish and even the after dinner chesma (veil) of Sheherazade. And from behind that veil Gurdjieff's hand now reaches to pull back the curtain, enabling us to see, if we will but open our eyes to the images hidden behind the words, the esoteric teachings of the ages through which all things become possible. Emily and Sophia Henderson

This volume covers a variety of topics in the field of research in strategic management and information technology. These topics include organizational fit and flexibility and the determinants of business unit reliance on information technologies.

Essays address plague and disease in the fifteenth century, as manifested throughout Europe. Described as "a golden age of pathogens", the long fifteenth century was notable for a series of international, national and regional epidemics that had a profound effect upon the fabric of society. The impact of pestilence upon the literary, religious, social and political life of men, women and children throughout Europe and beyond continues to excite lively debate among historians, as the ten papers presented in this volume confirm. They deal with theresponse of urban communities in England, France and Italy to matters of public health, governance and welfare, as well as addressing the reactions of the medical profession to successive outbreaks of disease, and of individuals to the omnipresence of death, while two, very different, essays examine the important, if sometimes controversial, contribution now being made by microbiologists to our understanding of the Black Death. Contributors: J.L. Bolton, Elma Brenner, Samuel Cohn, John Henderson, Neil Murphy, Elizabeth Rutledge, Samantha Sagui, Karen Smyth, Jane Stevens Crawshaw, Sheila Sweetinburgh.

This second volume in the series, "Strategic Management and Information Technology" presents a coherent set of papers that deal with the challenges of leveraging information technology for designing inter-organizational relationships. Instead of assembling a set of papers that are loosely connected to the broad theme of strategy and information technology, this volume presents a well-knit compendium of papers on a coherent topic.