Choosing a text of microbiology for students of the allied health professions

is not an easy task. Various books are available on the subject. None, however,

seems to fulfill the particular needs of the allied health professions.

Most microbiology texts contain an array of general information of use to the

average undergraduate who has not yet decided on a specialty. Little or no

mention is made in these books of the information most pertinent to the allied

health professionals. Many other texts are directed at the medical student. These

students, of course, are more interested in clinical data than in technical know-

how. Consequently, these medical texts contain much about disease syndromes

and their treatment, but little about the teclmical aspects of microbiology.

The many highly specialized and more advanced texts are far beyond the

scope most students of the allied health professions require during their early

training. Then, there are a number of excellent manuals. These serve well as

reference material, but they make poor textbooks since they fail to explain tire

underlying principles so necessary to understand the material covered.

The material for this book has been collected over a period of ten years.

During that time, I have taught medical technology, nursing, science, medical

and postgraduate degree students.