This highly regarded textbook of medicine has gone from strength to strength since it first published in 1987. This new fourth edition builds on and enhances the book's reputation and popularity with undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, practising doctors and students in allied health professions. The achievement of 'Kumar and Clark' is that it provides a detailed but comprehensible text that bridges the gap between purely introductory texts and larger reference works. Each chapter links scientific advances with clinical practice so that the management of disease is based on sound physiological concepts. Written by a strong multiauthor team however due to the meticulous editing of Parveen Kumar and Mike Clark, the style is consistent, lucid and succinct. 'Kumar and Clark' has always led the way with new features and innovations in presentation. Lively and informative boxes for emergency treatments and practical procedures were introduced in the third edition, and these have been carried forward and improved for this edition. All the line drawings have been redrawn to make maximum use of 4-colour printing and the internal page design has been completely revised to make it even more attractive and informative for the reader. The book's popularity contributed to the development of two supplementary handbooks: Pocket Essentials of Clinical Medicine, by Anne Ballinger and Stephen Patchett, and MCQs in Clinical Medicine by R. R. Baliga. These two books are being revised and will be linked to the new fourth edition of Kumar and Clark, making an attractive 'package' of 3 related texts. Features: * All recent advances are completely incorporated into every aspect of the book, so where there's an advance the text is rewritten * Chapters start with a contents list including headings and page numbers making it easier to find the information you need * User-friendly colour coded chapters allow you to see at a glance where chapters begin and end * Further reading incorporated throughout the chapter so references are located conveniently where the topic is discussed in the book * Illustrations are all completely re-drawn with lively colours for added clarity * Anatomical pictures designed into illustrations improves comprehension * Information, Emergency and Practical Boxes cluster useful facts and procedures together so it's convenient to locate information essential to clinical settings * More clinical photographs increase understanding of normal and abnormal appearances - especially in the dermatology chapter * Tables are distinctive and easier-to-reference than ever New to this edition: * thoroughly revised and updated to include latest advances in fast-changing areas including: * AIDS (Ch 1); new discoveries in cell and molecular biology (Ch 2); * more on health promotion (Ch 3); * more on common soft tissue problems (Ch 8); * more on molecular genetics of myocardial disease and ischaemic heart disease; * many new scans and photographs in the neurological disease and dermatology chapters (Chs. 18 and 20) * modern and striking, 4-colour page design, with good signposting by use of colour and clear running heads * all line drawings redrawn to make maximum use of 4-colour printing * references distributed throughout the chapters, where appropriate to access the information * colourful boxes - Emergency, Information and Practical - enhance the text and gather together important clinical information * continued emphasis on community medicine as well as care in the hospital * recognition of the problems and challenges of caring for elderly patients