This is an account of the evolution of medical knowledge from the magical rites of prehistoric witchdoctors to the latest advances in drugs and laser surgery. Including portraits of those doctors, surgeons and scientists whose oustanding efforts over the centuries have provided landmarks in this field of study, the book illustrates how the study of disease and the body has developed. It also features revolutionary developments such as the use of anaesthesia and X-rays and the discovery of penicillin and DNA.