obstetrics, pediatrics, and surgery. The hook contains a wealth of well-organized and, 

 ahove all. entirely up-to-date information. There is a lot of interesting secondary or 

 additional information set in small print or in the form of footnotes. 



The account of normal development is shorter than in the classical textbooks, yet 

 sufficiently detailed and illustrated to provide a sound background. In addition, the main 

 congenital malformations are described and illustrated and a separate 17-page chapter on 

 their causes is included. Early development is arranged by weeks (1st through 3rd) and 

 this is followed by chapters on the embryonic and fetal periods, on the fetal membranes 

 and placenta, and on the various organ systems. All chapters have a brief summary. 



The numerous line drawings, all original, are of excellent quality. Colour is used to 

 great advantage is many of them. In addition, there are a large number of good 

 photographs. A very useful feature is a 4-page illustrated time-table of human develop- 

 ment. Extensive and up-to-date reference lists are provided. The book is well produced at 

 a very reasonable price. 



18. 



G.H.SPERBER. 1973. CRANIOFACIAL EMBRYOLOGY 



Wright, Bristol. Dental Practitioner Handbook No. 15. XII, 132 pp., 89 figs., subject 

 index. £ 2.50 (paper) 



This is probably the first textbook in which human craniofacial development is 

 described starting from its very inception. It is meant to make up for the very limited 

 time devoted to developmental anatomy in most undergraduate dental curricula. 



The first section of 52 pages concisely treats early embryonic development and 

 orofacial development up to about 8 weeks, followed by two chapters on the branchial 

 arches and grooves and the pharyngeal pouches. A diagram summarizes salient features of 

 embryonic development. Section two then describes craniofacial development up to 

 adulthood. For convenience the head is subdivided into 1 1 components, each allotted a 

 separate chapter. A second diagram summarizes postulated mechanisms of odontogenesis. 



In the text and diagrams the interactions between genetic, cytoplasmic, and environ- 

 mental factors are briefly touched upon. Attention is paid to the major anomalies of 

 craniofacial development. The book is illustrated with simple but effective line drawings 

 and a number of photographs. Each chapter has a brief selected bibliography. 



Monographs 



19. 



C.R.AUSTIN, ed. 1973. THE MAMMALIAN FETUS IN VITRO 



Chapman & Hall, London. XII, 388 pp., 75 figs., 23 pis., 29 tabs., author and subject 

 indexes. £ 8.00, $ 25.00 



This book was written by an Anglo-American team of outstanding experts, with one 

 contribution from Australia. The word "fetus" in the title encompasses developmental 

 stages from implantation till term. In most chapters the main emphasis is on the 

 sophisticated techniques that have been developed to maintain fetuses outside the uterus, 

 but most authors also discuss the sort of research that can be done with such fetuses. 



The first three chapters are of most immediate interest to developmental biologists 

 generally: a brief but interesting chapter on the implications of viviparity (Austin); a 

 chapter on rat, mouse, and opossum post-implantation embryos in vitro (New); and a 

 chapter on the anatomical and physiological adaptations of marsupial pouch young for 

 extra-uterine existence (Sharman). The later chapters are perhaps of more specific interest 

 to clinicians. They deal with the extra-uterine sustainment of mid-term sheep, dog and 

 human fetuses, the pre-term human fetus, and the premature human infant. Attention is 



176 



