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The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
498
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
ence, provide the reader with a thorough comprehensive survey of the field of pediatric glaucomas, emphasizing the clinically sig nificant features and eliminating the clutter of the myriad "special" attributes that char acterize each variant. This simplifying fea ture renders the book of great value to medi cal students and those in the health-related fields as well. The book is organized in 12 chapters. The first two deal with general principals includ ing classification of the glaucomas, the role of heredity and methods of diagnosis. The following six chapters discuss the genetically determined pediatric glaucomas: infantile glaucoma, primary glaucoma occurring after infancy, glaucoma associated with the phakomatoses, with mesodermal anomalies, with metabolic diseases, and with iris anomalies. Nongenetic pediatric glaucomas (secon dary glaucomas) are discussed in two chap ters: one devoted to glaucoma associated with rubella infection; the last two chapters presenting medical and surgical therapy. Throughout the entire book the lucid pre sentation of the authors is reinforced by ele gant and effective illustrations that demon strate clinical conditions, methods of investi gation and therapy, light and electron micro scopic findings, and photographic records of the optic disk and of fluorescein angiograms. Mansour Armaly
PHYSIOLOGY OF COLOR AND PATTERN
VI
SION. By K. Motokawa. Clothbound, 283 pages, table of contents, list of references, author index, subject index, 137 black and white figures. $18.00 In his preface, Motokawa states that "The purpose of this book is to present the major studies on vision performed in our labora tory during the past 25 years, and also to de scribe in some detail related studies in other laboratories." The book is divided into 11 chapters. The first three include discussions of the anat omy and electrophysiology of the retina and
AUGUST, 1971
visual pathways, and a discussion of electrophysiologic correlates of some aspects of pattern vision. Chapters 4 through 10 are de voted to a detailed discussion of techniques, results, and interpretation of experiments utilizing electrical stimulation of the eye. Topics under discussion include induction, color vision, optical illusions, movement, and stereoscopic vision. Chapter 11 concludes with a number of models simulating various aspects of spatial and temporal visual func tion. The book is physically attractive and well laid out. There is a 22-page reference sec tion, but only a scant two-page subject index, which is not very useful. The author as sumes that the reader has considerable knowledge of both vision and physiology. The book provides a comprehensive review of the utilization of the electrical phosphene to gain insight as to the functioning of the visual system, and will be of value to re searchers specializing in visual function. It is not, however, a suitable teaching text. Joel Pokorny T H E PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERA PEUTICS, 4th ed. Edited by Louis S. Good
man and Alfred Gilman. Toronto, MacMillan, 1971. Clothbound, 1794 pages, ta ble of contents, index, 184 black and white figures. $25.00 It is 30 years since the publication of the first edition of this textbook, the "blue bible" of pharmacology. In the first two editions, the contents were provided solely by the two authors. In the third edition, published in the mid-1960's, it became, for the first time, a multi-authored work. The present fourth edi tion has undergone an updating of every chapter with respect to the mechanism of ac tion, rational use of older therapeutic agents, and the addition of important new drug en tities. The organization of the material in this text is similar to that of previous editions. Those who have read this book previously will find themselves on familiar ground.
VOL. 72, NO. 2
BOOK REVIEWS
This 1794-page volume tries to correlate pharmacology with related medical sciences, gives considerable attention to advances in medicine and interpretation of pharmacologic effects and actions leading to or influ encing these advances. There has been a great effort made to help the reader evaluate promotional claims in published literature of new therapeutic agents. Many therapeutic agents that are in active use in each field are reported, with attempts made to reduce con fusion, culling out those which are not well established, safe, and effective drugs. There are many ways in which this tre mendous compilation of data can be useful to the ophthalmologist. It provides funda mental knowledge of the action of agents which are employed by the ophthalmologist regularly or on rare occasions. He will have no difficulty understanding the mechanism of action of old and new agents, of comparing their chances for efficacy and toxicity. The specific fundamentals, essential for the proper use of any of these agents in all branches of ophthalmic therapeutics, are clearly defined. The field of pharmacology has expanded rapidly in the past several decades, with re markable advances in the various methods of testing for efficacy and toxicity. It is a Her culean task, and the two original authors, along with their fellow contributors, have brought order in a practical way into the therapeutic jungle. Irving H. Leopold BECKER-SHAFFER'S DIAGNOSIS AND T H E R APY OF THE GLAUCOMAS, 3rd ed. By Allan
E. Kolker and John Hetherington, Jr. St. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1970. Clothbound, ta ble of contents, index, 495 pages. 383 black and white figures and six color plates. $25.00 The third and latest edition of this superb text has maintained the original purpose of the first: "to make available in one volume the current thinking on the pathogenesis, di
499
agnosis and management of the glaucomas." The format of the current edition is the same as the second. First, there is a section on classification of the glaucomas. This is followed by a section on gonioscopy and one on tonometry and tonography. A fourth sec tion deals with ophthalmoscopy and perimetry and includes a description of static perimetry. Sections on diagnosis and therapy, followed by separate chapters on medical and surgical techniques, complete a succinct but comprehensive review of the subject matter. An appendix includes examples of gonioscopic views, tables for tonometry and tonography, and examples of tonograms. In a subject so complex, with ramifica tions that touch almost every specialty area of ophthalmology, it would be difficult for any reader not to find some areas of dis agreement. These turn out to be of a minor nature when one considers the overall excel lence of the volume. This book is a must for the office, library, and laboratory of every ophthalmologist. Together with lectures on glaucoma by Chandler and Grant, it forms the outstanding pair of textual contributions from this country on the subject of glau coma. Marvin L. Sears
CLINICAL ASPECTS OF AUTONOMIC
PHAR
By Paul Turner. Clothbound, 169 pages, table of contents, two indexes, 36 black and white figures, $7.50 The subject of autonomic activity and its relationship to the pathogenesis and treat ment of disease has been revolutionized by two series of events which occurred in the past 10 years. The first has been an increase on understanding of transmitters, or their release and uptake. The second has been the introduction of compounds with relatively specific receptor blocking activity. The result of these new types of information has re sulted in a change in thinking on autonomic pharmacology and has influenced the investiMACOLOGY.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
ence, provide the reader with a thorough comprehensive survey of the field of pediatric glaucomas, emphasizing the clinically sig nificant features and eliminating the clutter of the myriad "special" attributes that char acterize each variant. This simplifying fea ture renders the book of great value to medi cal students and those in the health-related fields as well. The book is organized in 12 chapters. The first two deal with general principals includ ing classification of the glaucomas, the role of heredity and methods of diagnosis. The following six chapters discuss the genetically determined pediatric glaucomas: infantile glaucoma, primary glaucoma occurring after infancy, glaucoma associated with the phakomatoses, with mesodermal anomalies, with metabolic diseases, and with iris anomalies. Nongenetic pediatric glaucomas (secon dary glaucomas) are discussed in two chap ters: one devoted to glaucoma associated with rubella infection; the last two chapters presenting medical and surgical therapy. Throughout the entire book the lucid pre sentation of the authors is reinforced by ele gant and effective illustrations that demon strate clinical conditions, methods of investi gation and therapy, light and electron micro scopic findings, and photographic records of the optic disk and of fluorescein angiograms. Mansour Armaly
PHYSIOLOGY OF COLOR AND PATTERN
VI
SION. By K. Motokawa. Clothbound, 283 pages, table of contents, list of references, author index, subject index, 137 black and white figures. $18.00 In his preface, Motokawa states that "The purpose of this book is to present the major studies on vision performed in our labora tory during the past 25 years, and also to de scribe in some detail related studies in other laboratories." The book is divided into 11 chapters. The first three include discussions of the anat omy and electrophysiology of the retina and
AUGUST, 1971
visual pathways, and a discussion of electrophysiologic correlates of some aspects of pattern vision. Chapters 4 through 10 are de voted to a detailed discussion of techniques, results, and interpretation of experiments utilizing electrical stimulation of the eye. Topics under discussion include induction, color vision, optical illusions, movement, and stereoscopic vision. Chapter 11 concludes with a number of models simulating various aspects of spatial and temporal visual func tion. The book is physically attractive and well laid out. There is a 22-page reference sec tion, but only a scant two-page subject index, which is not very useful. The author as sumes that the reader has considerable knowledge of both vision and physiology. The book provides a comprehensive review of the utilization of the electrical phosphene to gain insight as to the functioning of the visual system, and will be of value to re searchers specializing in visual function. It is not, however, a suitable teaching text. Joel Pokorny T H E PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF THERA PEUTICS, 4th ed. Edited by Louis S. Good
man and Alfred Gilman. Toronto, MacMillan, 1971. Clothbound, 1794 pages, ta ble of contents, index, 184 black and white figures. $25.00 It is 30 years since the publication of the first edition of this textbook, the "blue bible" of pharmacology. In the first two editions, the contents were provided solely by the two authors. In the third edition, published in the mid-1960's, it became, for the first time, a multi-authored work. The present fourth edi tion has undergone an updating of every chapter with respect to the mechanism of ac tion, rational use of older therapeutic agents, and the addition of important new drug en tities. The organization of the material in this text is similar to that of previous editions. Those who have read this book previously will find themselves on familiar ground.
VOL. 72, NO. 2
BOOK REVIEWS
This 1794-page volume tries to correlate pharmacology with related medical sciences, gives considerable attention to advances in medicine and interpretation of pharmacologic effects and actions leading to or influ encing these advances. There has been a great effort made to help the reader evaluate promotional claims in published literature of new therapeutic agents. Many therapeutic agents that are in active use in each field are reported, with attempts made to reduce con fusion, culling out those which are not well established, safe, and effective drugs. There are many ways in which this tre mendous compilation of data can be useful to the ophthalmologist. It provides funda mental knowledge of the action of agents which are employed by the ophthalmologist regularly or on rare occasions. He will have no difficulty understanding the mechanism of action of old and new agents, of comparing their chances for efficacy and toxicity. The specific fundamentals, essential for the proper use of any of these agents in all branches of ophthalmic therapeutics, are clearly defined. The field of pharmacology has expanded rapidly in the past several decades, with re markable advances in the various methods of testing for efficacy and toxicity. It is a Her culean task, and the two original authors, along with their fellow contributors, have brought order in a practical way into the therapeutic jungle. Irving H. Leopold BECKER-SHAFFER'S DIAGNOSIS AND T H E R APY OF THE GLAUCOMAS, 3rd ed. By Allan
E. Kolker and John Hetherington, Jr. St. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1970. Clothbound, ta ble of contents, index, 495 pages. 383 black and white figures and six color plates. $25.00 The third and latest edition of this superb text has maintained the original purpose of the first: "to make available in one volume the current thinking on the pathogenesis, di
499
agnosis and management of the glaucomas." The format of the current edition is the same as the second. First, there is a section on classification of the glaucomas. This is followed by a section on gonioscopy and one on tonometry and tonography. A fourth sec tion deals with ophthalmoscopy and perimetry and includes a description of static perimetry. Sections on diagnosis and therapy, followed by separate chapters on medical and surgical techniques, complete a succinct but comprehensive review of the subject matter. An appendix includes examples of gonioscopic views, tables for tonometry and tonography, and examples of tonograms. In a subject so complex, with ramifica tions that touch almost every specialty area of ophthalmology, it would be difficult for any reader not to find some areas of dis agreement. These turn out to be of a minor nature when one considers the overall excel lence of the volume. This book is a must for the office, library, and laboratory of every ophthalmologist. Together with lectures on glaucoma by Chandler and Grant, it forms the outstanding pair of textual contributions from this country on the subject of glau coma. Marvin L. Sears
CLINICAL ASPECTS OF AUTONOMIC
PHAR
By Paul Turner. Clothbound, 169 pages, table of contents, two indexes, 36 black and white figures, $7.50 The subject of autonomic activity and its relationship to the pathogenesis and treat ment of disease has been revolutionized by two series of events which occurred in the past 10 years. The first has been an increase on understanding of transmitters, or their release and uptake. The second has been the introduction of compounds with relatively specific receptor blocking activity. The result of these new types of information has re sulted in a change in thinking on autonomic pharmacology and has influenced the investiMACOLOGY.