"Rheumatic Disease" is the second monograph in a new series on management and treatment in major clinical subspecialties and patient groups. Further volumes will be published over the next few years. Each book is complete in its own right. The whole series, however, has been prepared to fill a gap, perceived by the publisher, myself and the volume authors, between standard text books of medicine and therapeutics and research reviews, sympo sia' and original articles in specialist fields. Each volume aims to provide a concise, up to date account of treatment in its subject area with particular reference to drug therapy. Wherever pos sible, authorship has been undertaken by practising clinicians who themselves have training and experience in clinical pharma cology. The volumes are intended to be guides to treatment, to assist in the choice of drug and other treatment and to provide easy references to drug interactions and adverse reactions. The aims of the series should be upheld by this volume on "Rheumatic Disease". The book has been prepared in Glasgow and Newcastle. The authors, Drs. Hilary Capell, Terry Daymond and Carson Dick, are not only respected clinicians and rheumato logists but have wide clinical and research experience in the clinical pharmacology of antirheumatic drugs and therapeutic management of connective tissue disease and other areas of rheumatology. This volume combines practical pragmatic man agement with new concepts in drug treatment.

1 Introduction

2 General Principles and Approach to the Patient in the Context of Osteoarthritis
3 Pain in the Neck, Low Back Pain and Degenerative Disc Disease
4 Local Syndromes
5 Metabolic Bone Disease
6 Crystal Arthropathies
7 General Medical and Metabolic Diseases
8 Rheumatoid Disease and Management of Extra-articular Features
9 Juvenile Chronic Arthritis
10 The Seronegative Spondarthritides
11 Infective Arthritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica/Giant Cell Arteritis
12 Connective Tissue Disorders
13 The General Principles of Management of Chronic Arthritis in the Context of a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis
14 Pharmacology of the Drugs Used in the Treatment of Chronic Arthritis
15 Gold
16 Penicillamine
17 Antimalarials and Other Second-Line Drugs
18 Corticosteroids
19 Cytotoxic Drugs
20 Surgery.