The Royal Society of Medicine Health Encyclopedia is a fully updated A-Z guide to health and the surrounding issues. It takes the reader from symptoms to surgical procedures, through pregnancy, neurological and psychological disorders, cosmetic surgery, and much more. Pharmaceutical brands are cross-referenced with their generic terms, while more diverse topics such as medical ethics, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Indian Medicine are also covered. There are longer discursive entries for broader matters like the brain, care of the elderly, cancer, and health maintenance. Dr. Youngson gives selected valuable medical advice in highlighted boxes, while a special feature discusses the salient ailments of each stage of life, with cross references to relevant entries. A separate first aid section provides easy-to-follow instructions for action in emergencies, and a list of addresses and websites signposts the reader to further information.