This UGC sponsored and National Award winning book is the only book of its kind. It deals exhaustively with the subject of social medicine. It is a treatise on the role of global sociocultural factors in the causation of physical, mental and psychological diseases, disabilities, suicides, crimes, prostitution and drug addiction. Also, it discusses threadbare how the acts of omission and commission of people including medical and paramedical personnel, lead to the perpetuation or worsening of diseases. When read between the lines it makes a strong plea to the medical practitioners including specialties and super specialists to take a holistic view of their patients and ever look upon them as members of dynamic kinship, neighbourhood and occupational groups. Though written primarily for medical students this book will be equally useful not only to students of nursing and other paramedical disciplines but, also to the students of social sciences. What is more, even lay persons will find this book so easy that they be loath to put in down before reading to the very last page