A colour atlas of neuropathology

A colour atlas of neuropathology

618 Book reviews held in Washington in May 1976 may be of assistance to those caught up in this trend. An overall picture of cutaneous toxicity is g...

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618

Book reviews

held in Washington in May 1976 may be of assistance to those caught up in this trend. An overall picture of cutaneous toxicity is given in this volume, although sensitization and irritancy are the aspects receiving most attention. The review by D. B. Hood of the animal and human tests available for the detection of irritants and sensitizers is comprehensive but is aimed at readers already acquainted with the subject and, for others, would benefit from further description of each method. A more detailed discussion of some common tests is provided by J. F. GriMth and E. V. Buehler, who conclude that man i.s less sensitive to the effects of irritants than are the rabbit and guinea-pig. While the guinea-pig is useful in the identification of strong allergens, the human repeated-insult patch test is still the method of choice as a preliminary sensitization screen for most materials. The report of P. J. Frosch and A. M. Kligman on their research work with the chamber-scarification test also makes interesting reading. They express the hope that this more sensitive method will eventually replace traditional patch testing for potential irritants. Percutaneous absorption is covered in four chapters. Of these, the contribution of R. C. Wester and H. I. Maibach, comparing human and animal data, is perhaps the most useful to the general reader. In crude quantitative terms, the monkey and pig are probably the present animal models of choice for measuring percutaneous absorption, the skin of the rat and rabbit being much more permeable than that of man. F o r those who promote the use of tissue tests as alternatives to in vivo animal studies, the book offers little joy. The paper by Wester and Maibach mentioned above includes a discussion on the in vitro methods available for the measurement of percutaneous absorption; on this evidence there are, as yet. no viable alternatives to the live animal, although in vitro tests provide a useful preliminary picture. The paper by A. E. Munson and his colleagues similarly indicates that existing in vitro techniques for predict•ng irritancy and sensitization are only in the early stages of development. Of the remaining papers, an article by M. K. Bruch on the systemic toxicity that can result from the topical application of antimicrobial agents, particularly hexachlorophene, and an interesting review of the toxicity of hair dyes written by C. M. Burnett and J. F. Corbett must be noted. The latter should be of interest to those who consider the case against hair dyes proven. Books inspired by symposia or conferences are often heterogeneous collections of papers of variable quality, The present work has largely avoided both these drawbacks. W i t h few exceptions, the contribution,-are relevant, well written and, above all, comprehensible to the non-speciali'st. Minor irritation stems from a. regular smattering of typographical errors and some readers might have been helped by a few more explanatory diagrams in chapters dealing with the physiology of the skin. However, other aspects of presentation are excellent. It is all the more

remarkable, therefore, that the cost of the volume has been kept down to what is, at least by present standards, a very reasonable £I0. Consequently, in all respects, Cutaneous Toxicity can be recommended for those who require some background information in a n important area of toxicology. A Colour Atlas of Neuropathoiogy. By C. S. Treip. Wolfe Medical Publications Ltd., London, 1978. pp. 2O8. £15. This book is one of a series of popular medical atlases. Like the previous volumes, it contains numerous well-produced colour photomicrographs, black-and-white photographs demonstrating gross lesions, and a minimal amount of accompanying text. The book is divided into eleven chapters. The first deals with changes that characterize injury to the neuron and various glial elements, while infections and vascular diseases are covered in chapters 2 and 3. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with degenerative and demyelinating diseases, areas in which important advances are being made, Metabolic and nutritional disorders and traumatic lesions are dealt with in the next two chapters and the distressing conditions of congenital malformation and perinatal disorders occupy the eighth. The last three chapters deal with a simplified classification of tumours of the central and peripheral nervous systems and of the pituitary, In a presentation of this kind, the quality of reproduction of the photomicrographs is obviously a factor of prime importance and, in general, the standard here is good. The photographs are in most instances well selected and demonstrate the lesion in question clearly. However, the number of illustrations between pages 53 and 56 showing very similar lesions could probably have been reduced without any substantial loss. The volume is to be recommended to the senior medical students and aspiring pathologists for whom it was compiled. It should also be a useful reference work for persons interested in comparative neuropathology.

BOOKS RECEIVED FOR REVIEW Le Risque de Sensibilisation aux Colorants Alimentaires et Pharmaceutiques. By D. A. Moneret-Vautrin and B.

Aubert. Masson, Paris, 1978. pp. x + 148. F.fr. 125.00. Inorganic and Nutritional Aspects of Cancer. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Vol. 91. Edited by

G. N. Schrauzer. Plenum Publishing Corporation, New York, 1978. pp. xi + 351. £20.48. Advances in Modern Toxicology. Vol. 4. Dermatotoxieology and Pharmacology. Edited by F. N. Marzulli and H. I.

Maibach. John Wiley & Sons Lt&, London~ 1977, £24.60. Nonparametric Statistics. A Contemporary Approach. By R. P. Runyon. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, MA, 1977, pp, vi +218. £6.40. Health and the Environment. Public Health in Europe No. 8.

WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1977. pp. iii + 162. Sw.fr. 18.00.