Sketches of Otohistory

The Sketches of Otohistory paint a fascinating picture of otology from its incipiency in the ancient circum-Mediterranean civilizations, through the 19th-century rise of aural surgery and inner ear anatomy, to the modern world. Although scholarly researched, the Sketches of Otohistory are not an accumulation of dry facts and dates. Rather, they are delightful vignettes on particularly significant developments, portraying individual contributors, their lives and work, as well as presenting important entities in today’s research and practice, such as those of noise trauma, drug-induced hearing loss and presbyacusis. Further, this portrait of Western medicine is complemented by a historical account of otology in traditional Eastern medicine. The articles are handsomely illustrated with remarkable plates from works of some of the early pioneers of inner ear anatomy and physiology. This engagingly written and enlightening book will be valuable and enjoyable reading for anyone interested in the roots of otolaryngology and its research.