Product Description

Cowan and Steel’s Manual has for many years had an essential role in every laboratory of microbiology and bacteriology. This substantially revised new edition, which is modelled on the successful pattern established in the previous two editions, has been fully updated and is suitable for all bacteriological laboratories using traditional diagnostic methods. It is essentially a practical manual with up-to-date contributions and key references by experts to the diagnostic characteristics of the bacteria likely to be encountered in public health and hospital microbiology laboratories, as well as in medical and veterinary practice. This edition contains new sections on rapid and mechanised test methods, and on the laboratory applications of computer theory and practice to the identification of bacteria. As in previous editions, the importance of laboratory quality control and proficiency procedures are emphasised. The Appendices give details of the laboratory methods and media for all the recommended diagnostic tests and, in addition, provide abstracts of the official guidelines for bacterial nomenclature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #203528 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
‘In conclusion this excellent book has retained the best of the old and combined it with the new. It is a must for every clinical laboratory and at only £40, represents excellent value for money.’ Tim Wyatt, Association of Clinical Microbiologists News

'… this practical manual, which has been the standard diagnostic text since the mid-1960s, continues to be the standard reference text for bacteriology.' The Bulletin of The Royal College of Pathologists

Customer Reviews

I am pleased
that this book is still popular, although I realise it is probably a bit dated ( first edition , 1965 ) .
My late father was K.J. Steel & sadly never lived to see the book in print.
Glad it is still useful .

Excellent text....
This is an excellent text for all those trainee MLSO's / BMS's working toward state registration in the field of medical microbiology.

The best feature of the book is the short minidefinitions, great for quick reference in the laboratory and containing plenty of relevant information. From gram reactions to basic identification tests this text has it all. Each chapter is informative, but to the point.

One down side is the huge amount of information on sugar fermentation and other less common practice biochemical tests, it can bog you down.

Old school lab work
In the current climate of ever more automated systems for identification of pathogens it is nice to be reminded of the art behind it. Still a very useful book when your systems go down or you have that bug that your database just can't identify.

Quite a technical book and certainly not an easy read, may be helpful with other books in preparation for FRCPath exams.