the development of testing methods for a recent American literature in clinical
BOOK REVIEWS particular blood or urine constituent. chemistry and many of tho methods se-
This is followed by 8. few selected tech- lected have originated here. Neverthe-
mch i t well merits library space. It is niques which are described in detail so t h a t less, there is a distinct British flavor t o the
well indexed. The authors are to he thev can bc ~ ~ r f o r m without
ed consultine book. Same of the apparatus illustrated
rongratulated for the success they have me hardly, if ever, encountered in the
achieved in writing this well integrated USA and demonstrate nicely that we do
textbook. They have included certain not have a. monopoly on the manufacturing
references and the value of the very brief tic implications of a particular result are of precisianequipment. A table of normal
lists is increased by the concise descriptive given in a clear and concise manner. At body weights mitrht puzzle the American
comment about each book and review the end of each chapter there is a. list of reader u n b s he gno& that 1 stone equals
article. Supplementary reading should references which this reviewer finds very 14 pounds or 6.350 kilogram. I n contrast
he stimulated. This shorter textbook is useful. to Amcriczn usage, bload urea is expressed
highly recommended. The hook consists of 29 chapters, start- as such (milligram urea per 100 ml. of
ing with an introductory description of the blood) and not as B.U.N. (milligram blood
- - collection and handling of specimen, notes urea nitrogen per 100 rnl.).
Purdue Unioerszty a n colorimetry, and a discussion of control Most of the analytical procedures
Lafayette, Indiana of accuracy, and followed by 28 chapters described are similar t o or identical with
devoted t o various blood and urine can- those used in hospital laborittories in the
stituenta. USA. Sometimes, however, one en-
For those who awn previous editions of counters techniques which arc unneces-
Practical Clinical Biochemistry this book it might he of interest to know sarily eumbcrsome or outdated. The
that this new third edition contains now a simple method of Mindlin and Butler for
Hamld Vadey, Rlanehester University, chapter on enzymes (transaminases, lactic the determination of ascorbic acid in
England. 3rd ed. William Heinemenn dehydrogenase, aldolase, eholinesterase). plasma, for example, is mentioned but not
Mcdicd Bonks, Ltd., London, and The chapter on acid-base regulation has described, whereas a. more complex pro-
Interscience Books, Inc. (8, division of been rewritten to include the Astrup tech- cedure is given in detail. The determina-
John Wilry and Sons, Inc.), New York, niques. Among other additional newer tion of total protein by the capper sulfate
1962. viii + 889 pp. Pigs. and tables. methods are the glucose oxidase technique specific gravity method is hardly of more
14.5 X 2" em. 30000 for blood glucose, the determination of than historical interest. In his discussion
Aecmding t o a statement on the inside methylated amines and of hydmxy-meth- of "on-protein nitrogcn determinations the
cover, tho object of this book is t o give a my-mandelic acid (in the section dealing author mentions t h a t trichloracetic acid
comprehensive account of the many hio- with adrenaline and noradrcnaline), the (instead of tungstic acid) may be used for
chemical tests now carried out in hospital d-xylose excretion test, enzyme methods the preparation of protein-free filtrates.
laboratories as a n aid to the diagnosis and for blood pyruvate and lactate, a technique I t might be well t o add that trichloracetic
treatment of disoaso. In each chapter for the determination of pregnantnetrid, and acid is preferable since i t decomposes
there is given a t first an outline of various the diacetyl monoxime method for urea. during digestion into volatile C 0 2 and
basic principles which lend themselves to The author is quite familiar with the CHCL, whereas tungstic acid remains and
A834 / journal of Chemical Education
BOOK REVIEWS
is apt to cause turbidity during subsequent
nesslerization.
In summary: thii is not just another
"cook-book-style" collection of procedures,
but an intelligently written well balanced
book with s. wealth of useful information,
It should be in the library of clinical
chemiats and of those interested in analyti-
cal aspects of biochemistry.
Orno SCAALES
Tulane University School of Medicine
New Orleans, Louisiana
Volume 40, Number 10, October 1963 / A835
