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Natural toxins. Proceedings of the 6th international symposium on animal, plant and microbial toxins, Uppsala, August 1979
Toxlcar, Vot 19, No. 6, pp. 913-914,1981 . Printed in Oint Britain .
0041-0101/81/060913-02 $0200/0 Papmon Prep Ltd.
REVIEWS Herpetofauna of the Western Bieszczady Mts. SZVNDLAR, Z. Acts zool cracoo. Kraków 24, 299-336 (1980} THE EUROPEAN adder, Vipera berms, is relatively uncommon in the Biaszvady Mountains of Poland,inhabiting the lower elevations, rarely the forests, and entirely exterminated in the mountain meadows. It is killed on sight by nearly everyone in the area and the author suggests that because of its diminishing numbers it should now be protectedDuring the past 20 yr, 88 bites by this snake were treated at the hospital in Ustryzki Dolne, with only one death. Other bites did occur in the area but reports were not available. Of the 88 cases, 59 were on residents of the area and29 were on tourists . The author demonstrates that thefrequency of biteswas unrelatedto human migration into the area and the subsequent decrease in number was due to the continuing extermination of the snake. F. E. RUSSELL
ENNIK, F. (California Department of Health Services, Berkeley, California} Deaths from bites and stings of venomous animals. West. J. Med. 133,463-468 (1980} DATA from 34 death certificates in California from 1960-1976 indicate that most deaths were caused by Hymenoptera (56%~ snakes (35%) and spiders (6*//.} An average incidence of 2.0 deaths per year occurred during these 17 yr, or an average death rate of 0.01 per 100,000 population per year . Nearly three times more males than fernales died ofvenomous animal bitesandstings . Half of the deaths from snakes occurred in children less than 5 yr of age. Susceptible persons40 yr or older appeared to be particularly vulnerable to hymenopterous stings and often died quickly of anaphylaxis. Fatalencounters with venomous animalsoccurred more often around the home than in places of employment or during recreational activities. Deaths resulting from spider bites are rare in California (and can be questioned-Ed) but many bites are reported F. E. RUSSELL D.ERKERandT. WADSTRÖM (Eds.} Natural Toxins. Proceedings ojthe 6th International Symposiumon Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, Uppsalm August 1979, 719 pp. Oxford : Pergamon Press, (1980} DURING the 6th International Symposium on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, 207 papers were actually presented at the meeting: 78 orally and 129 in poster form. To publish all thew contributionswould have increased this proceeding book tremendously andwould have delayed the publication. Thetwoeditorshad, therefore, decided to invite submission of manuscripts of only the invited oral papers (mainly reviews) and the special workshop presentations. Eighty-three manuscripts have been finally received and are published in the present volume. Besides the two plenary lectures (E. KOCHVA et al. : Venom glands, venom synthesis, venom secretion and evolution; F. E. RUSSELL : Pharmacology of venoms~ the book contains various chapters : Pathophysiology of Envenomation, Venom Toxins and the Immune System ; Substances AffectingBloodCoagulation and Fibrinolysis ; Cytolytic Toxins ; Phospholipases and Cell Membranes ; Enterotoxins, Lipid A and Endotoxin ; Edema and Purpura-producing Toxins ; Novel Bacterial Toxins ; Toxins with IntracellularTargets ; Structure and Function of Polypeptide Neurotoxins, Venom Toxins Affecting Neurotransmitter Release; Botulinum and Tetanus Toxins ;
Novel Toxins and Toxic Effects ; MycotoxinL It is always adifficult task for editors to select, among a largenumber ofpapers which maynearly all be worthy of publication, those giving, together, the most complete picture of our present knowledge about animal, plant and microbial toxins . Considering the abstracts which are published as a supplement of Toxicon 17, several important contributions are missed in theproceeding book, and some which appeared could have been omitted However, this is a rather personal impression ; other readers may have a different opinion on the various crucial points . In a situation where toxinology is an expanding field and where it becomes more and more difficult to publish proceedings in a reasonable time after a congress or symposium, both editors made it possible to have an important work available covering most of the aspects discussed during a sometimes very heterogenous symposium as far as themes and state of artareconcerned It is worth discussing whethersimilar proceedings or more elaborated abstract books should be publishedin future (since most of the original presentations are published elsewhere} But this does not mean that the presentpublication is unnecessary. On the contrary, this proceeding book is a must'for everyone working in the field of toxinology. D. MEBs 913
0041-0101/81/060913-02 $0200/0 Papmon Prep Ltd.
REVIEWS Herpetofauna of the Western Bieszczady Mts. SZVNDLAR, Z. Acts zool cracoo. Kraków 24, 299-336 (1980} THE EUROPEAN adder, Vipera berms, is relatively uncommon in the Biaszvady Mountains of Poland,inhabiting the lower elevations, rarely the forests, and entirely exterminated in the mountain meadows. It is killed on sight by nearly everyone in the area and the author suggests that because of its diminishing numbers it should now be protectedDuring the past 20 yr, 88 bites by this snake were treated at the hospital in Ustryzki Dolne, with only one death. Other bites did occur in the area but reports were not available. Of the 88 cases, 59 were on residents of the area and29 were on tourists . The author demonstrates that thefrequency of biteswas unrelatedto human migration into the area and the subsequent decrease in number was due to the continuing extermination of the snake. F. E. RUSSELL
ENNIK, F. (California Department of Health Services, Berkeley, California} Deaths from bites and stings of venomous animals. West. J. Med. 133,463-468 (1980} DATA from 34 death certificates in California from 1960-1976 indicate that most deaths were caused by Hymenoptera (56%~ snakes (35%) and spiders (6*//.} An average incidence of 2.0 deaths per year occurred during these 17 yr, or an average death rate of 0.01 per 100,000 population per year . Nearly three times more males than fernales died ofvenomous animal bitesandstings . Half of the deaths from snakes occurred in children less than 5 yr of age. Susceptible persons40 yr or older appeared to be particularly vulnerable to hymenopterous stings and often died quickly of anaphylaxis. Fatalencounters with venomous animalsoccurred more often around the home than in places of employment or during recreational activities. Deaths resulting from spider bites are rare in California (and can be questioned-Ed) but many bites are reported F. E. RUSSELL D.ERKERandT. WADSTRÖM (Eds.} Natural Toxins. Proceedings ojthe 6th International Symposiumon Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, Uppsalm August 1979, 719 pp. Oxford : Pergamon Press, (1980} DURING the 6th International Symposium on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, 207 papers were actually presented at the meeting: 78 orally and 129 in poster form. To publish all thew contributionswould have increased this proceeding book tremendously andwould have delayed the publication. Thetwoeditorshad, therefore, decided to invite submission of manuscripts of only the invited oral papers (mainly reviews) and the special workshop presentations. Eighty-three manuscripts have been finally received and are published in the present volume. Besides the two plenary lectures (E. KOCHVA et al. : Venom glands, venom synthesis, venom secretion and evolution; F. E. RUSSELL : Pharmacology of venoms~ the book contains various chapters : Pathophysiology of Envenomation, Venom Toxins and the Immune System ; Substances AffectingBloodCoagulation and Fibrinolysis ; Cytolytic Toxins ; Phospholipases and Cell Membranes ; Enterotoxins, Lipid A and Endotoxin ; Edema and Purpura-producing Toxins ; Novel Bacterial Toxins ; Toxins with IntracellularTargets ; Structure and Function of Polypeptide Neurotoxins, Venom Toxins Affecting Neurotransmitter Release; Botulinum and Tetanus Toxins ;
Novel Toxins and Toxic Effects ; MycotoxinL It is always adifficult task for editors to select, among a largenumber ofpapers which maynearly all be worthy of publication, those giving, together, the most complete picture of our present knowledge about animal, plant and microbial toxins . Considering the abstracts which are published as a supplement of Toxicon 17, several important contributions are missed in theproceeding book, and some which appeared could have been omitted However, this is a rather personal impression ; other readers may have a different opinion on the various crucial points . In a situation where toxinology is an expanding field and where it becomes more and more difficult to publish proceedings in a reasonable time after a congress or symposium, both editors made it possible to have an important work available covering most of the aspects discussed during a sometimes very heterogenous symposium as far as themes and state of artareconcerned It is worth discussing whethersimilar proceedings or more elaborated abstract books should be publishedin future (since most of the original presentations are published elsewhere} But this does not mean that the presentpublication is unnecessary. On the contrary, this proceeding book is a must'for everyone working in the field of toxinology. D. MEBs 913