EK - Medicine- 2002

2002

EK -- Medicine

Biographische Enzyklopädie deutschsprachiger Mediziner [Biographical Encyclopedia of German-Speaking Physicians]. Ed. Dietrich von Engelhardt. München: Saur, 2002. xii, 992 p. 25 cm. ISBN 3-598-11462-1: EUR 258.00 [02-1-195]

Similar to the Biographische Enzyklopädie deutschsprachiger Philosophen (see RREA 8:62), the articles in the Biographische Enzyklopädie deutschsprachiger Mediziner are based upon the content found in the 10-volume Deutsche biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE). Unlike the Biographische Enzyklopädie deutschsprachiger Philosophen, however, it does not seem that many extracted entries have been substantially reworked or enlarged, and the exact number of added entries is not given. For instance, for the 11 entries for physicians with the last name Fraenkel, the short entry for each individual has been transferred directly from the DBE, the only revisions being the addition of a few bibliographic citations. Despite the scanty updating, however, many large libraries and most medical libraries will need to acquire this volume. [sh/ldb]

Dokumentation anthroposophisch-medizinischer Bücher: Gesamtübersicht über die weltweit erschienenen Bücher zur anthroposophischen Medizin und ihrer Grenzgebiete [Documentation of Books in Anthroposophical Medicine: An Exhaustive Survey of Worldwide Book Publication on Anthroposophical Medicine and Allied Fields]. Comp. Angelika Overstolz for the Medizinische Sektion der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft am Goetheanum. Dornach: Verlag am Goetheanum, 2001. 299 p. 27 cm. ISBN 3-7235-1125-2: SFr. 89.00 [02-2-499]

Dokumentation anthroposophisch-medizinischer Zeitschriften 1926–1994 [Documentation of Journals in Anthroposophical Medicine]. Comp. Angelika Overstolz for the Medizinische Sektion der Freien Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft am Goetheanum. Dornach: Verlag am Goetheanum, 1995. 430 p. 27 cm. ISBN 3-7235-0773-5: SFr. 44.00 [02-2-500]

In two large volumes Angela Overstolz, with the support of the Freie Hochschule für Geisteswissenschaft am Goetheanum [Free University for the Humanities at the Goetheanum], attempts to document the monographic and article literature on anthroposophical medicine and its allied fields as completely as possible, with the exception of the writings of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthoposophy, for which the reader is referred to the annually updated catalog of the Rudolf-Steiner Verlag. From the literature on allied fields, including “Goethean science, ... pedagogy, healing eurythmy, art therapies,” the editor has selected “books relevant for the anthroposophical doctor,” as well as those on the teaching of anthroposophical healing and social therapy, to which a separate section is dedicated.

As may be expected, the bibliography is strongest for publications from German-speaking Switzerland and Germany. Overstolz does make an effort to include non-German publications, as well, but her reliance on informants in other countries sometimes has a negative impact on the choice of foreign books. The German titles are more reliable, although the layout of entries takes some getting used to, as annotations and subject keywords are inserted between the book titles and their publication information.

The 1995 bibliography of articles on anthroposophical medicine and its allied fields includes “about 2,850” titles arranged by “over 1,700” subjects in the first part, and by author in the second. Periodicals specializing in anthroposophical medicine and sciences are the primary sources examined. Periodicals in other anthroposophical fields, and articles by anthroposophical authors in other periodicals, are also treated— particularly articles on the theme of “mistletoe and cancer,” on which the editor has written. Given that this pair of volumes represents a bibliography of publications from a branch of alternative medicine, it does seem a bit odd that at the time of this review they only appear in very few libraries. [sh/rb]

Previous Section
Table of Contents