The space given to the infectious diseases has allowed a merely cursory description of the organic diseases and such subjects as insanity and heredity.

Of the organic diseases most space has been devoted to disease of the heart.

There is slight consideration of the environment and social conditions as causes of disease.
Very few authors are mentioned in the text and no bibliography is given.

There is lack of literature dealing with the general aspects of disease; the book moreover is not written for physicians, and the list of investigators from whose work the knowledge of disease has been derived would be too long to cite.
It has been assumed that the reader has some familiarity with elementary anatomy and physiology, and these subjects have been considered only as much as is necessary to set the scene for the drama.

I am indebted to my friend, Mr.W.R.Thayer, for patiently enduring the reading of the manuscript and for many suggestions as to phrasing.
CONTENTS.