Merritt’s Neurology is intended for medical students, house officers, practicing neurologists, non-neurologist clinicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers. We
hope it will be generally useful in providing the essential facts about common and rare diseases or conditions that are likely to be encountered.
We have tried to maintain Merritt’s literary attributes: direct, clear, and succinct writing; emphasis on facts rather than unsupported opinion (now called
“evidence-based medicine”); and ample use of illustrations and tables.
The book now faces competition from other books, including electronic textbooks, but its success is based on several attributes. A book, unlike a computer, can be
taken and used almost anywhere. A one-volume textbook is handier, more mobile, and less expensive than the multivolume sets that now dot the scene. Briefer
paperbacks provide less information and fewer references.
