This work, Essential Endocrinology: A Primer for Nonspecialists, is written with dual purposes in mind: first, to provide a framework of basic endocrinology and diabetology to the medical student, and second, to provide a quick, con­ cise, and handy "guide" to the junior residents in their early years of training who wish to obtain a working knowledge about endocrine disorders that affect their patients. One of the outstanding advantages of being a teacher of en­ docrinology to students and junior residents is that it bestows a perspective from a unique vantage point. Books written for the junior members of our profession have suffered from extremes of caliber, ranging from excellence beyond their comprehension to insufferable mediocrity. Textbooks in en­ docrinology that are simple enough to cover the principles of that speciality and yet comprehensive enough without treading into controversial quicksand are few and far between. This book is aimed at filling that gap and is written with no other criterion than simplifying a complex subject matter. From this touchstone, the work has never really departed. A decade of experience as a teacher and physician in the field of endo­ crinologyhas impressed on me that the process of "simplification" rests on four basic principles: an understanding of endocrine concepts, the application of these concepts to the understanding of diseases, the transference of knowl­ edge to clinical situations, and the integration of the patient with the labo­ ratory, the ultimate testing ground where clinical diagnoses stand or fall.

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An Introduction to Endocrinology.- I. The Pituitary Gland.- 1. The Anatomy of the Pituitary Gland.- 2. Physiology: The Secretion, Regulatory Control, and Actions of Pituitary Hormones.- 3. Testing Pituitary Function.- 4. Pituitary Hyperfunction.- 5. Pituitary Hypofunction.- 6. The Empty Sella Syndrome.- 7. Pituitary Tumors.- 8. The Neurohypophysis: The Regulatory Control and Actions of Vasopressin.- 9. Diabetes Insipidus.- 10. Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH Secretion.- II. The Thyroid Gland.- 11. The Anatomy of the Thyroid Gland.- 12. Physiology: The Secretion, Regulatory Control, and Actions of the Thyroid Hormones.- 13. Testing Thyroid Function.- 14. Thyroid Hyperfunction.- 15. Thyroid Hypofunction.- 16. The Thyroidites.- 17. Thyroid Nodules.- 18. Thyroid Cancer.- III. The Parathyroids.- 19. Anatomy of the Parathyroids.- 20. Physiology: The Control, Regulation, and Actions of Parathyroid Hormone.- 21. Hypercalcemia.- 22. Primary Hyperparathyroidism.- 23. Hypocalcemia.- 24. Hypoparathyroidism.- IV. The Adrenal Glands.- 25. Anatomy of the Adrenal Glands.- 26. Physiology: The Secretion, Regulatory Control, and Actions of the Adrenal Steroids.- 27. Testing Adrenocortical Function.- 28. Hyperfunction of the Adrenal Cortex.- 29. Hypofunction of the Adrenals.- 30. Tumors of the Adrenal Glands.- 31. The Adrenal Medulla and Pheochromocytoma.- V. The Testes.- 32. Anatomy of the Testes.- 33. Physiology of Testicular Function.- 34. Testing Testicular Function.- 35. Precocious Puberty in the Male.- 36. Testicular Hypofunction.- VI. The Ovaries.- 37. Anatomy of the Ovaries.- 38. Physiology of Ovarian Function.- 39. Testing Ovarian Function.- 40. Precocious Puberty in the Female.- 41. Ovarian Failure.- VII. Disorders of Sexual Differentiation.- 42. Embryology of Sexual Differentiation.- 43. Syndromes of Disordered Sexual Differentiation.- VIII. Diabetes and Glucose Intolerance.- 44. Physiology: The Synthesis, Release, and Actions of Insulin.- 45. The Definition, Classification, and Etiology of Diabetes.- 46. The Clinical Features of Diabetes.- 47. Diagnostic Studies in Diabetes Mellitus.- 48. Metabolic Decompensations in the Diabetic.- 49. Chronic Complications of Diabetes.- 50. The Treatment of Diabetes.- IX. Miscellany.- 51. Islet Cell Tumors.- 52. Multiple Endocrine Adenomatosis.- 53. Carcinoid Tumors.