Читать книгу Handbook of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine - S. R. Prabhu - Страница 10

Foreword

This is an amazing work. Professor SR Prabhu has touched constructively on almost every “issue”, every decision required, in the day‐to‐day practice of oral medicine and to a considerable extent, oral/maxillofacial pathology. He has laid out the material in a very logical set of chapters. The extensive illustrations are of uniformly high quality: many of these have been donated by colleagues around the world and I join in thanking them for their generosity: many have become personal friends to us both.

I initially was hesitant to contribute this Foreword. As a quantitative scientist, I always wish to see the evidence base for every diagnosis, test and treatment presented. This is deliberately not the intention here ‐ indeed it is the opposite of Prof Prabhu’s intent. As he put it in response to my challenge “My intention is not to compete with great authors of international repute. The material presented is truly a compilation of what is known in the scientific papers, books and case reports that are (I might interpolate with much hard work) available. This is a humble attempt to provide students and busy practitioners with a source that provides quick access to information”. I see the value of this: indeed, I wish my current undergraduate and postgraduate students came to clinics with a copy in their pockets!

Professor SR Prabhu is a remarkable professional in the autumn of a remarkable career. This has impacted the dental profession, and particularly dental students, across the globe, for decades, beginning with his first teaching appointment in India in 1971. We first met when he was Commonwealth Medical Scholar in my department in London in 1974. Chronologically since then he has taught and led teaching [including from positions as Head of Department or Dean in several institutions] in universities in India, Kenya, Sudan, Australia, Papua New Guinea, West Indies, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, West Indies (again), United Arab Emirates, and several Australian universities, again. His vast knowledge reflects this.

I have learned much from his global experience and it was particularly educative for me to work with him, as co‐editor and co‐author of his largest work Oral Diseases in the Tropics (Oxford University Press 1992; Revised reprint, Jaypee Bros. 2017). Beyond that his bibliography is extensive.

We are fortunate that he has maintained the drive and passion to give us this valuable work at this time: one positive outcome of Covid‐2019.

Newell W Johnson, CMG Emeritus Professor of Oral Health Sciences, Kings’ College London, &Dean Emeritus and Honorary Professor of Dental Research, Griffith University, Queensland, AustraliaBrisbane, June 2021