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tain that an integral part of the physician’s job consists of adequately informing and advising patients 
so that they can make their own decisions about their health. 
In developing their arguments, the authors rely on the examples given above (allergies, hyperten 
sion, etc.), providing some background information for each of these conditions. One wishes, 
however, that as much emphasis had been given to the anthropological background as to the medical. 
For example, although there is an interesting discussion of circumcision practices which makes some 
use of cross-cultural data, practically the only statement about the nature of ritual in general is that 
“...anthropologists have long noted that ritual practices are especially likely to occur in high anxiety 
situations” (p.60). This rather wholesale statement definitely merits elaboration, but it is not forth 
coming. This reviewer feels that a more detailed discussion of ritual in general would have con 
tributed much to both clarify and support the authors’ assertion that circumcision and tonsillectomy 
are ritualized practices. 
Actually, the over-all impression is that this book is primarily the result of Dr. Glasser’s effort. 
This is perhaps not surprising, as the basic theme has to do with Western medicine. But I can’t help 
but feeling that anthropological perspectives would have aided the authors in the development of 
their arguments. Yet even where ethnological material is used, it is not always used effectively. For 
example, the discussion supporting the authors’ claim that shamans tend to deal more with the 
“whole” patient that the M.D. does is not as extensive or convincing as could be wished. 
Written primarily for the layperson, The Medical Merry-Go-Round accordingly (and laudably) 
includes a brief introduction to scientific methods, including the use of statistics. This is helpful in 
enabling the reader to better judge some of the authors’ arguments. For these same reasons as well as 
those already given, persons with a more thorough grounding in these areas will find that this book 
offers little that is new. While it is possible that introductory students in both medicine and an 
thropology (but especially medicine) could benefit from exposure to the ideas presented here, use of 
this book in the classroom would be more effective when in conjunction with other texts. Unfor 
tunately, Glasser and Pelto have provided no bibliography as such, but have listed some of their 
sources in the notes provided at the end. These could provide a starting point for any reader who 
might wish to delve deeper into the practices and controversies of our medical system. 
In summary, while this book concerns itself only indirectly with anthropological issues, it may be 
of some interest for those persons wishing to consider our own medical system from an an 
thropological perspective. It is more suitable for those readers, especially laypersons, who are in 
terested in evaluating both the claims of and their own relationship to Western medicine. Herein lies 
the chief contribution of this book. Persons who have already pierced the surface of these issues will 
probably find The Medical Merry-Go-Round of secondary importance. 
John Read Baker 
Napier, Prudence Hero: Catalogue of Primates in the British Museum 
(Natural History) and elsewhere in the British Isles. Part II: 
Family Cercopithecidae, Subfamily Cercopithecinae. X, 203 Pages. 
London 1981. 
Dieser Katalog führt alle Fälle der Subfamilie Cercopithecinae der Altweltaffen (Familie Cerco 
pithecidae) in den Sammlungen des Britischen Museums und sonsthin in England auf. Der veröffent 
lichte Katalog gibt nur eine Auswahl der verfügbaren Daten über den Erwerb und die vorgenomme 
nen Messungen. Der Umfang ergibt sich aus Erwerbungen in Afrika und Asien unter dem britischen 
Dominium während der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts: aus Indien, Birma und Ceylon von 1911 
bis 1930 sowie einer späteren ungewöhnlichen Sammlung afrikanischer Affen vom Powell-Cotton- 
Museum zu Birchington in Kent. Die Klassifikation beruht auf Simpson’s (1945) Veröffentlichung 
über die Säugetiere mit Abänderungen von Simons (1972) und Delson (1975, 1977). Die Genera und 
Species folgen der „Systematischen Liste“ von Napier & Napier (1967), verbessert mit Ergebnissen 
von Thorington & Groves (1970). Die Änderungen reichen bis 1977.