I am indebted to several people for helpful criticism in the writing of
these essays. My medical colleagues, Dr. Gordon R. McKinney, and Dr.
David W. Northup, read a number of the essays and made many helpful
suggestions. Professor Armand E. Singer of the Romance Language
Department of West Virginia University critically reviewed all the
manuscripts, and his scholarly erudition is indeed appreciated. The
sympathetic assistance of my wife is also gratefully acknowledged. On
occasion, she took me gently by the hand, and led me away from many a
pitfall. The kind people who aided me must not be taken to task for
errors of commission. I alone am responsible for these.
It is a pleasure to thank my capable and efficient secretaries, Mrs.
Mildred Fisher and Mrs. Ann Beavers, for typing the manuscripts.
Several of these essays have appeared in the following journals:
_The West Virginia Medical Journal_
_Harvard Medical Alumni Journal_
_The Physiologist_
_The Baker Street Journal_
_The Quarterly of the Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity_
_The Student Journal of the American Medical Association_
Permission has been kindly granted to reproduce these essays here.