The pages in this text are about the history, science and practice of medicine at sea and in the field. The practical portion is written for those providing medical care in isolated environments of a ship, in the wilderness or after natural disasters where individuals with limited formal medical education may be pressed into duty. Similar circumstances have been common throughout history. Only in the last century has medical education been taught over several years. Before that, most medical care delivered at sea and on land was performed by men and women with little to no formal medical education, trained by apprenticeship. Armed with a competent medical textbook, some practical skills and a modern medicine chest, a person taken back in time to the Second World War would be recognized as an "eagle" among medical officers.

The author wanted a book that would be readable, unlike many medical texts that only serve as a reference. This text will hopefully be more than a reference book to look up topics when medical problems arise but one that is enjoyable to read. There are numerous incidents when medicine in the field played large roles, both positive and negative in human history. Some of these stories are found on the following pages describing diseases, organisms and human behavior medicine's impact on history. Foundation sciences of biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy and physiology are included to remove some of medicine's mysteries. The author's lectures and text used history as a major vehicle of instruction since students seemed to grasp medicine more completely. The author feels strongly that a better understanding of the past is important in the study of any topic, including medicine. George Santayana's often quoted "Those that cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" is true today as it has in the past. The author's students often complained that most textbooks are barren of illustrations. Several voiced that while reading the earlier "Medicine at Sea" editions, if several pages were void of pictures, continued reading was suppressed. Therefore, this text is heavily illustrated, the pictures giving both the reader and author a visual of the written words.