Designed for the non-specialist, this substantial, thoughtfully compiled two-volume reference contains nearly 400 entries on diseases, syndromes, drugs, treatments, therapies, and diagnostic equipment. Each entry provides a definition, description, demographics, causes and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, recovery and rehabilitation, and in the case of drugs, precautions, side effects, interactions, recommended dosage, and purpose. Lists of resources and key terms are included with each entry. A sampling of topics includes acupuncture, autism, beriberi, dizziness, encephalopathy, hearing disorders, multifocal motor neuropathy, plexopathies, Wallenberg syndrome, and Wilson disease. The text is clear and accessible, with entries organized in outline form, cross-referenced terms in bold type, and helpful illustrations in color. The contributors are physicians, medical writers, researchers, and nurses in the US, the UK, and Brazil.