Leprosy mailing list – July 23rd,
2006
Ref.:
ILEP Technical Commission request for feedback on the need for a new
text on leprosy.
From: Warren G., Sydney,
Australia
Dear Salvatore,
A new leprosy Text book??? Yes, I understand that the
definitive Large text books are all out of date, but the average
doctor who is going to be “Doing Leprosy” in the field is never
really going to spend the time studying up all the details in
Hastings, Jopling and Cochrane! Certainly not before he starts work!
In fact I have found that the Ciba-Geigy book by Yawalkar is
probably far superior for giving the picture of the disease and the basics
of treatment. The
illustrations are coloured and really cover most of the material
needed for routine work. It
is small easily read and easily carried with the doctor. It is readily accepted by the
residents and students, I would love to see it as the basic book say
Vol. 1.; maybe a bit enlarged but not to much so and then the
second volume could be the other aspects that investigators and
researchers etc. need to know but which many workers never can be
bothered reading up as those who write do not make it interesting or
relevant enough to the day to day work.
Dr van Brakel’s suggestion of using internet sounds fine
for the more complicated pieces, and these could be updated as new
material arrives, and I think could be excellent if the YAWALKAR book
were available to give the basics and then the internet provides scope
to go looking for everything else.
Yes, I know how difficult it is to get the students to read
and learn more than they really have to!
With kind regards,
Grace Warren.
