drovers-sunrise

G'day everyone.

I'm just wondering whether anyone knows of any books that outline medical conditions, their symptoms, and treatment? I know that this is a big ask, but I am hoping that there is one out there which can be of some use to me!

I am currently writing a book where the two main characters are doctors, working in a hospital. While the plot mainly circles around the two doctors, I will still need to include a fair few patients, and a fair bit of medical lingo.

If anyone could help, it would be most appreciated! And if you can suggest a book which isn't too expensive, it will be all the better!

DS

JustJim

See if your library has a copy of Boyd's Introduction to the Study of Disease by Huntingdon Sheldon put out by the McGill University; search for it under the author's name as there aren't too many people with that name. It's a quite easy book to understand. Then when you have the diseases you want, you can go online and check on the treatment, symptoms, prognosis etc. I often (hypochondriac, you know) check things this way. Put the disease in quotes, thus. "hypochondria" +symptoms treatment

Google it just that way with the plus sign included. If this fails, remove the quotes and the plus sign. The main reason for them is to exclude some of the replies that may not be pertinent to your query.

Discover magazine runs a very good series of articles under the title 'Vital Signs', which is the goings on in various emergency room. I can't help with
the title of the book that was published with many of the articles, but you might try a Google of 'Vital Signs'.

You might also find help if you google "medical jargon".

Note on the above mentioned book. I ran across it while reseaching SF author James Tiptree, AKA Alice B,Sheldon. Huntingdon Sheldon was her husbands name and I thought that the book might have been written by him. But it seems that she put a bullet through his blind and demented head before killing herself, and this was done before the book I read was published At the time I came across the book, a Huntingdon Sheldon was still listed on the faculty of McGill.

drovers-sunrise

Thanks muchly for your reply! I'll check it out!

Anyone else got any further suggestions?

lisajane

Oxford Medical Dictionary
Medical-Surgical Nursing - Jones, Dunbar, Jirovec
Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary, 22nd ed.
Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 30th ed.
Special Tests and their Meanings - D.M.D. Evans
Reader's Digest Family Health Guide
MIMS - http://www.mims.com.au

__________________
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JustJim

Ok. I've just remembered the name of the doctor who wrote the original Discover Mag. Vital Signs column. Her name is Perry Klass, now a pediatrician. Try a Google of her name and a number of books will come up that might suit your needs, not all of them by Klass.

drovers-sunrise

Thanks for those, guys!!! I really appreciate it!

I'll let you know how I get on

DS