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| BOOK REVIEW |
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| Year : 2013 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 1 | Page : 93-94 |
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Textbook of Medical Parasitology: Protozoology and Helminthology, 4 th edition by S. C. Parija
H Srinivasa
Department of Microbiology, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| Date of Web Publication | 25-Jun-2013 |
Correspondence Address:
H Srinivasa
Department of Microbiology, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
How to cite this article:
Srinivasa H. Textbook of Medical Parasitology: Protozoology and Helminthology, 4 th edition by S. C. Parija. Trop Parasitol 2013;3:93-4 |
Author: Subhash Chandra Parija
E-mail: [email protected]
Publisher: All India Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi
Year: 2013; Pages: 360
ISBN: 81-8004-043-7
The complete title of the book is "Textbook of Medical Parasitology Protozoology and Helminthology" and is the 4 th edition. It is published by All India Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi. The book has four sections, 18 chapters, and a total of 360 pages. The first section deals with general parasitology, second with protozoan infections, third with helminthic infections, and the last section on common diagnostic methods in parasitology.
The third edition was brought in 2006 also has 300 odd pages, few color plates and case study of select parasitic infections. Compared to the third, the 4 th edition has undergone thorough revision, with more recent updates. The text font can be read without strain, the paper used is glossy and soothing beige colored, the tables stand with light colored background. All these features make a pleasant reading.
Coming to the details, the 4 th edition is thoroughly updated in style and contents. The main text content as well as that in table is clear and easy to grasp. The main highlight is the "key points" box liberally added in each chapter. The latter is a boon to the exam going students for brushing up the content so as to write a reasonably good essay, which has become a rarity nowadays. It is as well of use to the teacher who can especially take a glance of the key points and tables before going to the class lecture! The developments in parasitology and tropical parasitic diseasesincluding molecular diagnostics are incorporated in the text throughout as well as a separate slot as "newer developments" sprinkled in many chapters.
The figures and life-cycle diagrams are revised and more elegant. Many more photographs are added and the old ones are toned up and lookclassier. Some of the wet mounts are so refined and come veryclose to the image actually seen in the microscope. Some of the examples include the trophozoite of Entamoebahistolytica with its pseudopodia, clear ectoplasm and refractile endoplasm, the egg of Hymenolepisnana, and the trematode eggs unstained. The book also has 79 color photos of high quality, kept all together in the beginning so that they are especially useful as bench side text and atlas. The references are ample would beuseful for post-graduate students, doctoral, and research workers. Many references are quoted from eminent parasitologists, World Health Organization as well as the authors own publications and shows the rich experience in diverse subjects of medically important parasites.
To sum up, the author has raised the bar to himself in bringing out the 4 th edition, a book, which should find appeal among readers not only in India, but also globally. I recommend this book to all medical undergraduates as it will help them in their microbiology exams and also in preparing for post-graduate entrance exams for clinical specialties such as medicine, pediatrics etc., The book would appeal to practitioners of tropical medicine and help them to understand the clinical presentation of parasitic infections, present epidemiology, and laboratory diagnosis in developing and developed countries. With its moderate pricing of Rs. 448, the book is definitely worth every rupee spent. I recommend it for the shelves of every M.D. student of microbiology, pathology, medicine, pediatrics, surgery, and students in infectious diseases, fellowship in tropical diseases and related super-specialties.
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