Edited by M. Mahmoudi
Published by Humana Press, USA
Pages: 334. Price: £62.99. ISBN 978-1603274425
“He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.”
Sir William Osler
It is more than a century since Clemens von Pirquet coined the term “allergy”. It has been defined as a phenomenon observed in some individuals who develop “hypersensitive reactions” on exposure to environmental substances. Over the past few decades there has been an alarming increase in the morbidity caused by allergic disorders. It is estimated that approximately one quarter of the population of developed countries are afflicted. Not only do these disorders greatly affect the quality of life of these individuals, but in some instances they can also shorten the length of life. It …