Magill's Medical Guide Review

Monday, July 23, 2018 9:08:44 PM
"First published in 1995, Magill’s Medical Guide is a resource for health-care consumers that provides accessible, current information on diseases and conditions, the various health-care fields, and anatomy and physiology. The ninth edition has 1,316 signed alphabetical entries with brief bibliographies. Entries are one-to-three pages long with black-and-white illustrations, photographs, charts and tables, and sidebars. There are hundreds of new entries and revisions,including COVID-19, autofluorescence, N95 mask, and 3D Printing. The articles cover a wide range of topics: diseases, diagnostic techniques, treatments, and general health-care issues as well as organs and systems. All entries begin with a list that provides the category, organ or system, specialty and related fields, and key terms. Articles about diseases list symptoms, duration, and treatment options. Appendixes include a list of symptoms and warning signs, definitions of 700 diseases and conditions, a pharmaceutical list, and a list of organizations and support groups with contact information. This is a useful, general health resource for school, public, and consumer-health libraries. Purchase of the print edition includes free access to the
online version." - Booklist, 2023


“This encyclopedia set provides a vast amount of information regarding human anatomy, health, and hundreds of medical conditions ranging from abdominal disorders to “zoonoses.” The contributing authors, medical editors, and publisher have produced a valuable and timely resource that is likely to complement a variety of libraries.

Each encyclopedia begins with a contents section with corresponding page numbers. This is followed by a complete list of contents for all 5 volumes with corresponding page numbers. The set is broken down as follows: Abdomen to Conception, Concussion to Hair Transplantation, Hammertoe Correction to Narcotics, Nasal Polyp Removal to Skin Grating, and Skin Lesion Removal to Zoonoses. Thousands of entries are presented throughout this set.

A majority of the content of volumes 1 through 5 includes various medical terms. The latter portions of volumes 1 through 4 include “Entries by Anatomy or System Affected” followed by “Entries by Specialties or Related Fields.” The latter section of volume 5 includes a glossary, symptoms and warning signs, diseases and other medical conditions, a pharmaceutical list, types of health care providers, a general bibliography, and an index. Black-and-white illustrations, pictures, artwork, and tables are present throughout the 5-volume series. All are clear and easy to read. Colored images do not appear to be included.

A comprehensive and contemporary resource, users are also encouraged to consult with additional resources and experts prior to forming any final medical decisions. This guidance is included in the beginning of each volume in a “Note to Readers” paragraph. This encyclopedia series would likely complement a primary care provider’s medical library, a professional library, such as a medical institution, or a personal library of an individual with interested in human anatomy, science, wellness, and/or healthcare. The publisher notes that this series is also available online and the back cover of each text includes a QR code.”
-ARBA, 2018

“The easy-to-read text is suitable for student research or for the general public… This is a good purchase for school libraries, public libraries, and health care libraries.”
-ARBA

“Magill’s Medical Guide has been a standard lay medical resource since it was first published, in 1995… Magill’s Medical Guide continues to be a useful resource for school and public libraries.”
-Booklist

“This resource is especially useful for report writing because of the clarity of the numerous sidebars, tables, black-and-white photographs, and illustrations. Each article also supplies a one-sentence overview or definition of the topic; definitions of key terms to be discussed; and information on the anatomy or system affected, along with extensive cross-references and an up-to-date bibliography.”
-CHOICE

“Magill’s Medical Guide readily fills the need for authoritative medical information written at a level accessible to the layperson… Notable for reliable content aimed at the general reader, Magill’s Medical Guide is highly recommended for academic, public, and special libraries in need of consumer-health information. Purchase of the print set entitles the buyer to free access to the content online.”
-Booklist