the purpose of this book is to present the most efficient way of organizing hospital services and training the staff involved, in order to relief the always critical problems caused by disasters and to obtain the best care of patients.

On the other hand, the authors of this book, for the first time have reached the joint and multidisciplinary result of experiences accumulated in the study of disasters, as well as the medical, scientific and technical skill developed when giving care in such cases. Nobody doubts that the instructions contained in this work are a sound and suitable guide for the preservation of the human life.