The Pharmacology of Inflammation.

The Pharmacology of Inflammation is essentially a concise (118 pages) and slightly biased overview of the endogenous mediators implicated in the inflammatory process. In many respects this volume of the Modern Medicine series, as some of its companions, is a compilation and review of the many important contributions of its distinguished authors, Spector and Willoughby of St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College. The title of this monograph is more euphemistic than descriptive, yet it is clearly written, profusely illustrated with photographs of reasonable quality, and contains explanatory figures and tables of commendable clarity and relevance. By apparent design there is a scanty reference list, but each chapter ends with "suggestions for further reading." Many of the suggestions are whole volumes such as Florey's "General Pathology," which, while doubtlessly containing appropriate ancillary material, must strike the intended audience of students as moderately frustrating. Perhaps some notation of specific pages would be helpful.