BOOK REVIEWS
65
is a record of the proceedings of the Sixth Saranac Symposium held late in 1947, where
these conditions were thoroughly examined by a large group of outstanding workers in the
fields of clinical and experimental pneumoconiology.
Over two-thirds of t h e work is devoted to an exhaustive t r e a t m e n t of t h e beryllium
problem. T h e 29 papers describe t h e industrial processes involved, the clinical aspects of
beryllium disease in m a n , roentgenographic and morphologic characteristics, animal experiments including toxicity studies and anah'tical methods for t h e determination of
beryllium.
Major interest centers on certain fundamental points of controversy: (1) Is berylliosis
a primary pulmonary disease, or a systemic disease with predominantly pulmonary manifestations? (2) M a y the characteristic lesion of granulomatosis arise from lung changes
produced by a prior episode of pneumonitis? (3) Is t h e t y p e of pulmonary response dependent upon the solubility of the beryllium compound, or to t h e presence of "acid radic a l s " in the compound, or to the duration of the exposure? (4) Are recently, introduced
spectroscopic methods of determination of beryllium sensitive enough to detect accurately
the minute amounts of t h e metal present in excreta and tissues of exposed persons? (5) Is
the beryllium content of the lungs related to t h e type of t h e response? (6) Is beryllium alone
the causal agent, despite consistent failure to reproduce the disease in animals? T h e particip a n t s in the Symposium disagree with t h e opinion of t h e editor on several of these points;
the material must be digested in toto in order to evaluate properly t h e differing viewpoints.
T h e thoroughness with which debatable details are recorded will be stimulating to those
familiar with the subject, b u t may limit t h e practical usefulness of t h e volume for others.
Fundamental clinical and morphologic descriptions of berylliosis have been presented more
concisely elsewhere. As a source book on the subject of beryllium in medicine, however, the
work is unparalleled. I t s usefulness is increased by an extensive bibliography complete up
to J a n u a r y 1, 1950.
There is a brief review of bauxite fume pneumoconiosis (Shaver's disease), comprising
a series of case reports and a discussion of the industrial process which has given rise t o
them. Interest in a third section on compensation for occupational disease will be limited
to those engaged in compensation problems.
While this book does not cover the wide scope suggested by its general title, Pneumoconiosis, it nevertheless commands the attention of those interested in any phase of t h e
study of pulmonary disorders, industrial medicine and toxicology. Selection and reproduction of photomicrographs and roentgenograms is good, though the color plates are a bit
disappointing.
Cincinnati,
Ohio
F R A N K 11. D U T R A
27ie Chemistry of Industrial Toxicology. By H E R V E Y B . E L K I N S , P h . D . , Chief of Laboratory, Division of Occupational Hygiene, Massachusetts D e p a r t m e n t of Labor and
Industries. 406 p p . , 24 figs. $5.50. New York: John Wiley & Sons, I n c . , 1950.
As the title indicates, this book deals primarily with chemical aspects of Industrial
Toxicology. T h e first two introductory chapters briefly discuss fundamentals concerned in
the absorption, metabolic rate and excretion of toxic chemicals and t h e rationale for analysis of body fluids and tissues in diagnosing poisoning. In the next nine chapters specific
poisons are discussed. There is much valuable information here, since t h e author draws
upon his extensive experience to relate various circumstances in which poisoning may occur
and methods of prevention. These problems are considered in more detail in Chapters 12
and 13. Chapter 14 reviews basic concepts pertaining to Maximum Allowable Concentration and gives values for several hundred toxic chemicals. Numerous references document
these data. In Chapter 16 are discussed various air sampling devices and methods of analysis. Chapter 17 gives in detail analytical methods for t h e determination of common industrial poisons and the significance of t h e results. T h e reliability of these procedures
is attested 'to by the fact t h a t they are used in the Laboratories of the Massachusetts D e p a r t m e n t of Labor and Industries, of which the author is Chief.
The preface states t h a t this book is intended for the chemist and chemical engineer
66
BOOK REVIEWS
rather t h a n t h e physician. Toxic substances themselves, their properties and detection and
the industrial processes in which they are used are emphasized rather t h a n t h e clinical and
pathologic picture of poisoning. The volume should prove of value to anyone practicing
industrial medicine because of the information it contains on sources and circumstances of
poisoning. Such d a t a are not to be found in any conventional book on medical toxicology.
T h e pathologist engaged in toxicologic analysis will find t h e chapter on methods extremely
useful. The book is recommended t o either of t h e above two groups.
Boston
W A L T E R W.
JBTTER
Gerinmmgsfakloren
im LeichenbhU. By F . L. SCHLEYER, M . D . (Doctoral thesis). 87 p p . ,
tables and charts. 6.50 D . M . H a n o v e r : Schmorl and von Seefeld Nachf., 1950.
The treatise is based on experimental work performed at the I n s t i t u t e for Forensic Medicine of the University of Bonn (Dr. H . Elbel, director) to determine why blood in bodies
after sudden or violent death is generally found in t h e fluid s t a t e . After a detailed discussion
of t h e literature, the author describes his own experiments on preserved blood and cadaver
blood.
Oxalated blood or plasma was examined for coagulation after recalcification by the capillary method of Schultz (Berl. klin. Wchnschr., 47: 527, 1910); for fibrinogen by Wohlgem u t h ' s dilution technic (Biochem. Ztschr., 25: 79, 1910) and Gram's q u a n t i t a t i v e method
(J. Biol. Chem., 49: 279, 1921); for prothrombin by Rieben's two-phase method (W. R i e b e n :
Beitraege zur Kenntnis der Blutgerinnung, Basel, 1947); for hydrogen-ion concentration
with the quinhydrone electrode; and for sodium chloride content by Volhard's method.
T h e principal findings were t h a t the clotting power of recalcified oxalated blood and
plasma preserved at 4 C. disappeared after 15 to 18 days because of fibrinolysis and could be
restored by the addition of fibrinogen (product of t h e Armour Laboratories, Chicago).
By contrast, the prothrombin was more stable. Similar results were obtained in cadaver
blood in cases of sudden death. Here, shortly after death, when the blood was withdrawn,
it was fluid and coagulated spontaneously; however, when withdrawn at longer intervals
after death there was no clotting in vitro b u t clotting did occur after the addition of fibrinogen. Prothrombin was still present a t a longer period after death. The mechanism of t h e
fluid s t a t e of blood after sudden death is thus explained by the absence of clotting tendency
because of t h e undamaged intima of vessels during the first few hours after d e a t h ; later
there was fibrinolysis and finally loss of prothrombin rendering the blood permanently uncoagulable and refractory to clotting, perhaps because of factors which may have formed as
a result of postmortem changes.
Additional findings of interest to the laboratory worker were t h a t beef serum, used as
thrombin solution and preserved by toluol, remained stable for three weeks in t h e refrigerator, while human serum was unsuitable for this purpose because of increasing a n t i t h r o m b i n
action; also t h a t pulverized rabbit brain, used as thromboplastin, and frozen fibrinogen
solutions retained their activity for months.
Jackson,
Mississippi
H A N S N . NAUMANN
Enzymes, Growth, and Cancer. By VAN R . POTTER, P h . D . , Professor of Oncology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin. 64 p p . §1.85. Springfield,
Illinois: Charles C Thomas, 1950.
Brevity and clarity are happily combined in this monograph of t h e American Lecture
Series. I t represents a successful a t t e m p t t o develop an over-all concept on the role of
enzymes in cellular physiology and pathologj', based on analysis and integration of t h e
a b u n d a n t experimental d a t a collected during recent decades. In five succinct chapters t h e
discussion is built around identification, determination, and organization of enzymes,
factors influencing enzyme activity, and enzyme inhibition as a basis for chemotherapy.
Special emphasis is placed on t h e fact t h a t t h e simultaneous presence of a great variety of
enzymes within t h e cell permits t h e possibility of numerous alternative metabolic p a t h ways, and t h a t t h e "purposeful, self-maintaining, self-perpetuating association of en-