Is There a Doctor in the House?

Abstract

In this book we have looked at some of the most complicated machinery developed by our civilisation, but something much more intricate than anything made by people is the human body. Many mysteries remain about the way in which the body functions and the causes of some deadly diseases. People die every day from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. We read of great advances in transplant surgery and miracle drugs, but we have still not found a cure for the common cold. This is not to say that great advances have not been made in medical science. Diseases such as tuberculosis and smallpox which killed millions of people have been conquered. Drugs now help many people to lead ‘normal’ lives, who twenty years ago would have died. Advances in medical technology have kept abreast of advances in other fields and will continue to do so into the next century.