Essentials of Cardiac Arrhythmias [antikvár]

Foreword A certain poignancy attaches itself to a task so close to one's heart that it is completed not only with great effort but even at risk. Just as this is ti ue of the last symphony written by a deaf and ailing Beethoven, so it is true of this book. It represents the final thoughts and distilled clinical wisdom of Dr. Samuel Bellet. He completed it just hours before his untimely death. In attempting to write the foreword for such a book, published posthumously, it proved difficult to write solely about the book and not about the author, a longtime, cherished friend and associate. The mid 1920's to 1971, a period that encompassed Dr. Bellet's intensive study of the heart, produced the most startling advances in the field of diagnostic procedures as well as in the prevention and treatment of the real killers: heart block and the serious ventricular disturbances. The responsibility for the recognition of these conditions and for the institution of treatment usually falls upon the intern, resident, nurse, or trained technician on duty in admissions, in the accident wards, or in coronary care units. Realizing that few medical schools can find a place in their curricula for a thorough, comprehensive study of this subject, Dr. Bellet felt that a short, concise text, containing as far as possible just the essentials of cardiac arrhythmias, would be useful to quickly furnish necessary information to students, interns and residents. This book admirably meets these needs. Those who knew Dr. Samuel Bellet were filled with admiration for his skill in teaching, writing, and research and with affection for his understanding, dedication, and purpose, and will look upon this book as an epitaph worthy of a great scientist and human being. Thomas M. McMillan, M.D. Mobile, Alabama