This is a very well written text divided into eight chapters dealing with a definition of cholera; its origin; its behavior in the city of Calcutta; the pathology of the disease; experimental observations; the possible role of a cholera toxin; the mechanism of infection; and the relation of pathogenesis to the outpouring of fluid, the clinical course, and treatment. The author has had a wealth of experience with this disease and has made a number of important contributions, some of which are discussed in the text. The author was at a distinct disadvantage in not having available at the time his manuscript was written the important recent publications dealing with the physiology, pathology and treatment of cholera resulting from studies during the 1958–59 epidemic in Bangkok, Thailand.

The description of the clinical disease is lucid and particularly valuable. The excellent illustrations which accompany the clinical description effectively impart the dramatic nature of the disease.