Migraine: Evolution of a Common Disorder.

This is a highly personal assessment of migraine, combining descriptions of its vagaries as recorded in literature of the past, both lay and scientific, and the author's own experience with a large series of patients. A jarring note is introduced in the foreword by Goody, who, in stating that this work is the first to present "the general view" of migraine, somehow overlooks Wolff's wellknown textbook (to which the author himself frequently refers).

Much emphasis is placed on the nature of migraine prodromes, including a critical and discerning evaluation of the possible mechanisms of these curious symptoms. The author summarizes in detail the many pieces of evidence which do not easily fit the conventional thesis that these arise simply from intracranial vasoconstriction. Considerable attention is also given to the underlying "structure" of migraine in an attempt to synthesize the many puzzling features of the full attack. The author supports a