This volume covers the history of Western medicine's understanding of "tropical" diseases--illnesses now known to be caused by poor nutrition rather than climate. Each chapter is devoted to one of six disorders: beriberi, burning feet, endemic cretinism, konzo and tropical ataxic neuropathy, neurolathyrism, and pellagra. Poser teaches neurology at Harvard Medical School, and the late Dr. Bruyn was affiliated with the U. of Leiden. The volume does not contain a subject index. Science History Publications is a division of Watson Publishing. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR