Includes bibliographical references.

This medical textbook provides extensive information on medical prac tice in Africa for both practitioners and medical students. It stresse s basing medical practice on objective, scientifically determined princ iples. Because of the existence of undernutrition and infection, these areas are focused on, with a srong emphasis on basic mechanisms and on epidemiology. The following topics are discussed: climate and diseas e; people and disease; food, agriculture and disease; animals and disea se; the immune response to infection; transmission of infection; clinic al features of infection; traeatment of infection; the approach to trea tment; infections; the disturbed patient; the nervous system; disturban ces of water, electrolyte, and hydrogen-ion balance; the skin; the hear t and circulation; the blood; the lung; the gut; the liver; splenomegal y; the kidney; diseases of joints, connective tissue, bone, and muscle; endocrine and metabolic diseases; cancer; the pregnant patient; emerge ncies; and the essential laboratory.