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Blood Vessels: Problems Arising at the Borders of Natural and Artificial Blood Vessels
BOOK REVIEWS 89 author goes to great lengths to criticize the coronial system as opposed to system of medical examiners widely prevalent in the United States. Readers should be aware that this applies only to coronial practice in America. However, there is some merit in the book in that it describes procedures for examination of bodies in mass disasters. This is of value to practicing forensic pathologists and their dental colleagues. The book is not recommended for general use but does have its place in special libraries where forensic pathology is routinely practised, and as a reference book in medical libraries. E. Brian La’Brooy
Clinical Tumor Immunology, eds J. WYBRAN & M. J. STAQUET.1976. Pergamon Press, Oxford, U.K. 282 pp., illustrated. US$25.00 hard cover, US$l5.00 flexicover.
This monograph is published as a supplement to the European Journal of Cancer and covers the proceedings of a symposium of clinical tumour immunology held in Brussels, 1975. A major and fairly successful attempt is made to give perspective to the present position of oncology with respect to immunological theory and a fairly comprehensive cover of basic and applied immunology relevant to oncology is presented. Short up-to-date reviews are presented on cell mediated cytotoxicity (Cerottinic & Brunner), K cells (MacLennan), thymic hormone (Bach). Cellular immunological techniques and their application to monitoring the progress of human and animal tumours are discussed. The present state of the art (? science) of the clinical application of immunotherapy is amply discussed. Fair general reviews on transfer factor (Fudenberg), active immunotherapy (Mathe), non-specific immunotherapy in solid and fluid neoplasia (Amery, Whitehouse, Gutterman et al.) are given. This book provides the interested clinician with a statement of the contemporary place of immunology in the diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic disease as well as an adequate background of relevant basic immunology. Little new information is presented, though abstracts of papers given are appended. An overall impression has to be one of gloom, for despite the tremendous investment of time and money into tumour immunology in the last decade, clinical benefit is marginal. Innovative approaches are badly needed if tumour immunology is to play a significant role in the management of neoplastic disease. R . C. Clancy Blood Vessels: Problems Arising at the Borders of Natural and Artijicial Blood Vessels, eds S. EFFERT& J. D. MEYER-ERKELENZ. 1976. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 181 pp., 86 figs. A$21.40. This is the Proceedings of the 8th Scientific Conference of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Arzte published in the form of a small soft-covered book. Many of the contributors are well known and are primarily from Germany and Switzerland with a few from the U.S.A. The text is concerned with thrombosis, haemorrhage and biochemical engineering and with the biological incompatibility of vascular prostheses which represents a field of increasing importance to medicine, to biologists, biophysicists and biochemical engineers. Examples of poor English usage, incorrect spelling and neologisms detract from
90
BOOK REVIEWS
Pathology (1978), 10, January
the presentation and the quality of the text varies somewhat from chapter to chapter. However, the comprehensive coverage ensures that it will be a useful source for reference material and for a bibliography. It is better suited for institutional rather than private libraries. W. E. Stehbens Chronic Airflow Ohsfrirction in Lung Disease, W. M. THURLBECK. 1976 (Volume V in the Series 'Major Problems in Pathology'.) W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. London, Toronto. 456 pp., illustrated. AS24.34. Dr Thurlbeck has for some years been one of the major figures in the study of chronic obstructive lung disease. He has done a lot of work on the correlation of clinical, physiological and anatomical findings in this group of disorders and has introduced the term 'small airways disease' which has helped to focus attention on this hitherto somewhat neglected region. This book deals with chronic bronchitis. emphysema, bronchiectasis and asthma. It has chapters on terminology, definitions and classification, on morphology, epidemiology, aetiology and pathogenesis, alterations in other organs, pathophysiology and clinicopathological correlations. It is not an easy reference book in which to find straight answers to simple questions. Indeed the answers are often elusive. What Dr Thurlbeck has achieved is a clear and easy to read account of the problems as they appear today: problems of definition, problems related to the elucidation of aetiology and pathogenesis and of clinical and physiological correlation. This book is for the university and hospital pathologist, for the interested student and for the thoracic physician and respiratory physiologist. It has to be read, not used as a dictionary. Terms, such as collateral ventilation, which are omitted from the index are, in fact, amply discussed in the text. Not everyone would agree with some of the statements in the book, but this is only to be expected in a subject of such complexity. I believe that those who are interested in the lung should have this book as it brings together and summarizes much knowledge which is scattered in journals and available only to the dedicated few. T. Jelihovsky Current Topics in Pathologj- No. 62. Developmental Biology and Pathology, eds A. GROPP& K. BENIRSCHKE.1976. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 2 16 pp., illustrated. AS43.20.
Normal development during very early prenatal life requires the co-ordination of very intricate systems of complex cycles through structural, physiological and biochemical expressions of genetic information. Disturbances at this stage can result in immediate or delayed foetal death, growth retardation or malformation, and these themes were the basis of a symposium on 'Control of early embryogenesis and factors responsible for failure of embryonic development' held in Travemiinde in 1974. The contributors are well known specialists in their fields and include C. R. Austin, 0.
Clinical Tumor Immunology, eds J. WYBRAN & M. J. STAQUET.1976. Pergamon Press, Oxford, U.K. 282 pp., illustrated. US$25.00 hard cover, US$l5.00 flexicover.
This monograph is published as a supplement to the European Journal of Cancer and covers the proceedings of a symposium of clinical tumour immunology held in Brussels, 1975. A major and fairly successful attempt is made to give perspective to the present position of oncology with respect to immunological theory and a fairly comprehensive cover of basic and applied immunology relevant to oncology is presented. Short up-to-date reviews are presented on cell mediated cytotoxicity (Cerottinic & Brunner), K cells (MacLennan), thymic hormone (Bach). Cellular immunological techniques and their application to monitoring the progress of human and animal tumours are discussed. The present state of the art (? science) of the clinical application of immunotherapy is amply discussed. Fair general reviews on transfer factor (Fudenberg), active immunotherapy (Mathe), non-specific immunotherapy in solid and fluid neoplasia (Amery, Whitehouse, Gutterman et al.) are given. This book provides the interested clinician with a statement of the contemporary place of immunology in the diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic disease as well as an adequate background of relevant basic immunology. Little new information is presented, though abstracts of papers given are appended. An overall impression has to be one of gloom, for despite the tremendous investment of time and money into tumour immunology in the last decade, clinical benefit is marginal. Innovative approaches are badly needed if tumour immunology is to play a significant role in the management of neoplastic disease. R . C. Clancy Blood Vessels: Problems Arising at the Borders of Natural and Artijicial Blood Vessels, eds S. EFFERT& J. D. MEYER-ERKELENZ. 1976. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 181 pp., 86 figs. A$21.40. This is the Proceedings of the 8th Scientific Conference of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Arzte published in the form of a small soft-covered book. Many of the contributors are well known and are primarily from Germany and Switzerland with a few from the U.S.A. The text is concerned with thrombosis, haemorrhage and biochemical engineering and with the biological incompatibility of vascular prostheses which represents a field of increasing importance to medicine, to biologists, biophysicists and biochemical engineers. Examples of poor English usage, incorrect spelling and neologisms detract from
90
BOOK REVIEWS
Pathology (1978), 10, January
the presentation and the quality of the text varies somewhat from chapter to chapter. However, the comprehensive coverage ensures that it will be a useful source for reference material and for a bibliography. It is better suited for institutional rather than private libraries. W. E. Stehbens Chronic Airflow Ohsfrirction in Lung Disease, W. M. THURLBECK. 1976 (Volume V in the Series 'Major Problems in Pathology'.) W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. London, Toronto. 456 pp., illustrated. AS24.34. Dr Thurlbeck has for some years been one of the major figures in the study of chronic obstructive lung disease. He has done a lot of work on the correlation of clinical, physiological and anatomical findings in this group of disorders and has introduced the term 'small airways disease' which has helped to focus attention on this hitherto somewhat neglected region. This book deals with chronic bronchitis. emphysema, bronchiectasis and asthma. It has chapters on terminology, definitions and classification, on morphology, epidemiology, aetiology and pathogenesis, alterations in other organs, pathophysiology and clinicopathological correlations. It is not an easy reference book in which to find straight answers to simple questions. Indeed the answers are often elusive. What Dr Thurlbeck has achieved is a clear and easy to read account of the problems as they appear today: problems of definition, problems related to the elucidation of aetiology and pathogenesis and of clinical and physiological correlation. This book is for the university and hospital pathologist, for the interested student and for the thoracic physician and respiratory physiologist. It has to be read, not used as a dictionary. Terms, such as collateral ventilation, which are omitted from the index are, in fact, amply discussed in the text. Not everyone would agree with some of the statements in the book, but this is only to be expected in a subject of such complexity. I believe that those who are interested in the lung should have this book as it brings together and summarizes much knowledge which is scattered in journals and available only to the dedicated few. T. Jelihovsky Current Topics in Pathologj- No. 62. Developmental Biology and Pathology, eds A. GROPP& K. BENIRSCHKE.1976. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York. 2 16 pp., illustrated. AS43.20.
Normal development during very early prenatal life requires the co-ordination of very intricate systems of complex cycles through structural, physiological and biochemical expressions of genetic information. Disturbances at this stage can result in immediate or delayed foetal death, growth retardation or malformation, and these themes were the basis of a symposium on 'Control of early embryogenesis and factors responsible for failure of embryonic development' held in Travemiinde in 1974. The contributors are well known specialists in their fields and include C. R. Austin, 0.