As research in liver disease has greatly expanded over the past few decades the etiology, pathology, and natural history of many hepatic disorders have been clearly defined. Many new and accurate diagnostic tools are now available. In spite of all this progress the treatment of many liver diseases remains ameliorative. Nevertheless a more aggressive and successful surgical approach has taken place in regard to many diseases of the liver in part due to the pioneering work of Dr. William P. Longmire, Jr. and his colleagues. Dr. Longmire was among the early advocates of liver resection of neoplasms, successfully remov ing a large benign tumor of the liver in 1946. In the following decades his contributions covered the surgical treatment of trauma, tumors, cysts, and other congenital abnormalities. He has performed hundreds of operations on patients with these disorders. In 1948 he reported a procedure now named for him, in which intractable common duct obstruction was relieved by partial left hepatectomy and cholan giojejunostomy. He was one of the first to advocate side-to-side portacaval shunt for portal hypertension. Other essential contributions by this master surgeon were the periodic reviews that covered the advances in his field. Dr. Longmire, with his scholarly approach and broad background of knowl edge in all aspects of hepatic surgery, is exceptionally qualified to write this book. He and his colleague, Dr. Ronald K. Tompkins, are to be congratulated on this complete treatise.

Illustrated by: T. Bloodhart