Black’s Medical Dictionary (43rd edition): reference review

As it dictates a medically related text the binding of the book is sober – navy blue with the title on the spine. The dust cover, however, hints at something more modern – again being blue but with the addition of a reddish scan/X-ray of a human body. This successfully conveyed to the reviewer an impression that the work dealt with advances being made in an ever-changing field.

This is the 43rd edition of the dictionary and has been edited by Dr Harvey Marcovitch. Dr Marcovitch is a retired consultant paediatrician and former editor of the BMJ specialist paediatric journal – Archives of Disease in Childhood. Dr Marcovitch has been assisted in his endeavours by a number of other medical experts including radiologists, general practitioners, physicians and surgeons.

This new edition contains 200 new entries including items on Zika viruses, bariatric surgery and a section on well-informed and authoritative websites […]. No indication is given as to entries deleted from the 42nd edition.