Used very good.
PREFACE
WRITING a book on hospital matters involves, particularly at the
present time, a race between the lone author of the said book and
the many prolific, yet anonymous, authors of the circulars, regula-
tions and even Acts of Parliament which emanate from the Ministry
of Health, either direct or through the bottomless channel of His
Majesty's Stationery Office (or any bookseller).
A necessary consequence of this state of affairs is that the afore-
mentioned author can only pray that, between the stage of approv-
ing the proofs of his book and its eventual publication, no major
legislation nor ministerial direction has rendered any part of it
already of no more than historical interest.
In this book there is some material to which the above remarks
apply. But there is, too, some material, particularly in the early
chapters, which has stood the test of time-and stood it well (it is
intended for students and those less well versed in such matters
than you and I). There is also material (notably that on budgetary
control) which, while its principles are now firmly established in
commercial accountancy, is new to the hospital world. This section