This book uncovers the crucial role of the connective tissues in chronic rheumatic diseases, leading to major advances in understanding and treatment. It contains new clinical research and describes the authors own treatment method, developed over many years, using the 'rheumatic patch'. An up-to-date review of lectinology is also included. This thought-provoking book will be of particular interest to rheumatologists and GPs, but also to interested medical researchers.