Progress in Surgery 2. [antikvár]

Preface Aim and purpose of this series were presented in the preface of Volume I - whose echo so far has been very positive and encouraging. The articles originally intended for publication in Volume II proved to be more as to topics as well as in content, than could reasonably be assembled in one volume. Volume II therefore had to be limited to the three contributions presented here. We are pleased to have Billingham and Russell discuss the various theoretical as well as practical aspects of wound-healing. Comparative observations from the zoological field are followed by a discussion of clinical problems. Thauer's paper on hypothermia - thanks to its extensive presentation of the physiological problems involved - is likely to interest the clinician as well as the experimentál biologist. Monsaingeon presents the results of observations regarding the adrenocortical function gained on an important number of patients with long standing disease. While there is little doubt of an actual "consumption" of corticoids in adrenalectomized patients, there has not been a single incidence of "exhaustion" of the adrenals after repeated stresses, once the reaction had proved adequate. This is very relevant in our every day work with such patients and should make us even more cautious in the administration of these substances. The University Clinic with its threefold task of teaching, research and patient care today finds itself in a structural crisis which by far exceeds the proportions of a normál evolutionary process. This holds especially true for the Universities in the Germán speaking countries, but it is in no way limited to them. It was the intention of the editor to present in this volume already a survey of this problem with contributions from authorities of various countries. As not all manuscripts were received in time, this project had to be postponed for publication in the next volume. M. Allgöwer