This book investigates the accuracy and comprehensiveness of modern dictionary entries for sixteenth-century English medical terminology by comparing them against primary source texts from the period. R. W. McConchie, a scholar of historical linguistics, utilizes a corpus of thirteen medical treatises published between 1530 and 1612 to evaluate how contemporary lexicographical tools, including the Oxford English Dictionary, represent early modern medical vocabulary. The study argues that modern dictionaries often contain significant omissions and biases that misrepresent the actual usage and development of medical language during this era.

Experts in historical linguistics and lexicography regard this work as a critical examination of the limitations inherent in standard historical dictionaries. Scholars frequently note the technical density of the prose, which serves as a foundational reference for those studying the intersection of early modern medicine and language development.