This textbook has its ongm in a longstanding international profes sional and personal relationship of the authors. The success of the German edition was a result of the interest of the German authors, Dr. K. Knorr and Dr. C. Lauritzen, in synthesizing basic and clinical information in a textbook, the size and scope of which are appropriate to the modern undergraduate medical student. A unique feature of the volume was the addition of American gynecological thinking by Dr. F. K. Beller, who spent 12 years at New York University before returning to Germany. The English edition, which is aimed at the American medical student, has enlisted the services of Dr. R. M. Wynn, whose academic career has been in the United States, although he is thoroughly familiar with principles and practices of German gynecology. The English edition is not merely a translation of the German text. Rather, it incorporates most of the material, but with judiciOUS deletions, additions, and substitutions it brings the teaching into the mainstream of American medical education. We acknowledge with gratitude the expert editional assistance of Dr. Henriette Knorr-Gartner. Dr. R. Schuh mann and Mr. H. Brandt of Springer-Verlag were responsible for the histological sketches. The late Dr. H. Roemer prepared the section on psychosomatic disorders; Dr. F. W. Ahnefeld assisted in the section on shock; and Dr. H. Breinl helped to prepare the chapter on anatomy in the German edition.