Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease that is widely endemic in much of the world. In the central United States, including the broad reaches of the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, the majority of adults are infected with the causative fungus. Most infected individuals handle this infection well, but a few do become sick. Over the years there have been a number of outbreaks or epidemics with many persons becoming severely ill and some dying as a result. This is the story of the discovery of histoplasmosis in 1905 and the subsequent development of knowledge concerning its etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnostic challenges, clinical manifestations, and treatment. Uniquely qualified to tell this tale, Daniel and Baum base their study on original source material not previously available.

The story of histoplasmosis spans the twentieth century, from its discovery by Samuel Taylor Darling in Panama to the development of effective drug treatment near the century's end. The book epitomizes the growth of medical knowledge through the confluence of ideas and information arising from the work of many individual investigators, a recurrent theme in the history of medicine. Daniel and Baum include much original and previously unreported material derived from BauM's direct involvement with the unraveling of the pathogenesis of the disease and his personal knowledge of the people and events detailed in this book.

Pioneers in Medicine and Their Impact on Tuberculosis tells the stories of six individuals [Laennec, Koch, Biggs, von Pirquet, Frost, and Waksman], each of whom made significant contributions to their own respective medicalfields, as well as to the overall battle to conquer tuberculosis. Throughout history, tuberculosis has been at or near the top of the list of infectious diseases that have plagued humankind. This pervasive disease has had a central position not only in causing illness but also in challenging medical scientists to understand it -- and, in so doing, to further understand all of human health and illness. Pioneers in Medicine and Their Impact on Tuberculosis tells the stories of six of these individuals: Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec [pathology], Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch [bacteriology], Hermann Michael Biggs [public health], Clemens von Pirquet [immunology], Wade Hampton Frost [epidemiology], and Selman Abraham Waksman [antibiotics]. Itexamines not only their contributions in their own fields but also their special work in conquering tuberculosis. Presenting their fascinating lives and the seminal work they did in their disciplines, the author examines the importance of their discoveries and relates them to the dramatic expansion of medical science during the era in which they lived. Thomas M. Daniel is Professor Emeritus of Medicine and International Health and Emeritus Director of the Center for International Health at Case Western Reserve University. His previous book, Captain of Death: The Story of Tuberculosis [University of Rochester Press, 1997] was "strongly recommended" by the NewEngland Journal of Medicine, and was selected by Choice for its Outstanding Academic Book List for 1998.

A comprehensive examination of TB. CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book Award 1998. The dramatic story of tuberculosis is told here in a straightforward and accessible style. It presents the stories of persons connected with the disease, either as victims, or as those who made contributions to our knowledge of it; in addition to these personal accounts, the book unfolds the history and explains the pathogenesis of TB. The re-emergence of tuberculosis as a major American public health hazard has focused much attention on this ancientdisease. This book offers a comprehensive account of the disease from prehistoric times through to the present day, detailing the attempts to eradicate it completely. Its four separate sections [the spread of tuberculosis; its infectious nature; susceptibility to it; and methods of treatment] are linked through the device of presenting individuals' particular experience of the disease, whether as as victims, or as those who made contributions to our knowledge of it; in between these vignettes, the book unfolds the history and explains the pathogenesis of TB. A detailed medical glossary completes the volume. Thomas M. Daniel is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and International Health and Director of the Center for International Health at Case Western Reserve University.

Polio infantile paralysis was until recently a greatly feared disease, but is now preventable by a vaccine, which has largely eradicated it from the Western hemisphere; a global eradication campaign is underway. This book tells of the story of polio in fascinating and personal detail, through a series of essays written by those who experienced the disease: its victims, those who cared for them and those who worked to eliminate it altogether.The opening chapter recounts the history of polio from its earliest depiction in Egyptian art to the present day; it is followed by three personal descriptions of the experiences of patients who were paralysed in youth by polio, but went on to build successful lives. The challenges of caring for polio sufferers are described by two physicians who worked on polio wards at the height of the epidemic. The story of the cultivation of poliovirus and the testing of the vaccines is related by two research scientists who devoted much of their careers to the laboratories where the breakthroughs were achieved. The final essays describe the public health vaccination campaigns which successfully eradicated polio from the Americas, as experienced by those who directed them.Dr THOMAS M. DANIEL is Professor Emeritus of Medicine and International Health and Director of the Center for International Health at Case Western Reserve University; Dr FREDERICK C. ROBBINS is University Professor and Dean Emeritus of the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.Contributors: THOMAS M. DANIEL, FREDERICK C. ROBBINS, MICHAEL W.R. DAVIS, ANN L. MCLAUGHLIN, RUTH E. FRISCHER, ROBERT M. EIBEN, MARTHA LIPSON LEPOW, JOAO BAPTISTA RISI, JR., CIRO A. DE QUADROS