This is the revision of an Appleton & Lange publication that appeared in 1995 as Current Med Talk. (The first edition of this work was called Dictionary of Modern Medicine, and we have decided to revert to that title, which we feel is more appropriate to the text.) This edition, written by a practicing physician, will contain approximately 40,000 medical terms, including jargon commonly encountered in the health care professions that is important to know in daily practice. The entries frequently go beyond simple definitions and include explanatory material and references to major scientific and medical journals for further study and to document the source material. In addition to an overall increase in the number of entries, the new edition will feature a concise style and expanded coverage of alternative medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, forensic medicine, and sports medicine.