Proceedings of the National Symposium on Foot-and-Mouth Disease, edited by MJ Nunn and PM Thomber, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1993, pp 264, $18.95, ISBN 0644 325 607

The National Symposium on Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) brought together participants from all sections of the livestock industry from meat producers to exporters, and veterinarians in animal quarantine, disease control and research including a num- ber of overseas experts. The symposium was probably a first, in that all aspects of FMD of importance to Australia were discussed in an objective way without the emotion and angst that have been associated with some such meetings in the past.

The symposium reviewed the global situation relating to FMD and the changing attitudes that have developed as a result of the control and eradication of FMD in some countries, particularly in Europe and South America, and their implications for Aus- tralia. Most of the significant meat producing countries are controlling FMD more effectively and are moving towards FMD eradication. As stated by Dr Lonnie King from the United States Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Consider the im- plications to the international market place if countries like Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina become FMD free. This is no longer just a plan - it appears that it is realistic as well.” The implications for Australia are obvious. These countries would become significant competitors in Australia’s traditional over- seas markets in North America and possibly northern Asia. They would become even more significant if the North American Free Trade Association is extended to incorporate South American countries.

Of course the implications for Australia of an outbreak of FMD would be greater than Australia’s competitors in the international meat trade becoming FMD free. The symposium highlighted the broad basis of the inputs required in preventing the introduction of the disease, predicting the outcome of outbreaks under certain conditions, and controlling and eradicating them. Hence papers were presented on predicting the risks of introducing FMD through imports, disease diagnosis, use of FMD vaccines and Australia’s membership of the International Vaccine Bank, the role of wild animals in spreading the disease and the complica- tions they provide for control, compensation and rehabilitation, rural community awareness, predictive modelling, and the plans and strategies that have been developed for FMD control and eradication. The symposium was also told of the diminishing resources available to the disease control authorities in Australia and the alternatives that are being explored to compensate for these losses.

The proceedings are divided into three sections - Changing International Attitudes to FMD; How Ready are We?; and Future Directions - with papers from twenty-three contributors and with a general discussion after each section. The information is current and provides an accurate overall picture of the im- plications of FMD for Australia.

The papers, although not written in a uniform style, would be understandable by readers of the Proceedings. There are two exceptions: Modelling Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Australia, and The Use of Mathematical Modelling in Understanding Foot-and- Mouth Disease. Both contain excellent information but also contain formulae, figures and tables that may deter the reader. The first paper would have been improved immensely if the general conclusions had been summarised in the abstract that is provided. The second has a good abstract, which indicates in general terms the levels of resources that would be required and concluded that for larger outbreaks, the number of personnel and laboratory testing required under present eradication policies will probably exceed available resources in the short term.

The proceedings are peppered with acronyms and abbrevia- tions, and the editors have shown considerable enterprise in providing a list of more than two pages of acronyms and abbreviations used throughout the publication,

The publication is strongly recommended to those involved in administration and policy development in the livestock industries and their organisations, and to all veterinarians involved in disease control in these industries, but more specifically to those involved in exotic disease planning.

WA Snowdon

Dukes’ Physiology of Domestic Animals, 1 1 th edn, edited by MJ Swenson and WO Reece, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1993, pp 962 + xii, ISBN 0 8014 2804 1

Dukes’ Physiology was a quarter-century old when I first encountered it in the mid-fifties, and it was the only well-based physiology textbook for the veterinary students. Dukes had writ- ten all seven editions himself, but then he passed the pen to Melvin J Swenson. Swenson wrote some and edited all chapters for the next three editions (at about ten-yearly intervals). For this, the eleventh edition, he has been joined by William 0 Reece as an editor and by 40 other authors, most American experts of the present or past (nine authors are listed as deceased, retired or emeritus).

Although it now has several competitors, the current edition still fulfils the objectives of Dukes, as stated in the first edition: “to provide students of veterinary medicine with a suitable text- book for their courses in physiology”, and “that practitioners of veterinary medicine who wish to keep up to date with the trend in physiology will find it helpful.”

This edition is divided into 49 chapters, in seven parts: blood circulation and the cardiovascular system; respiration and exer- cise; digestion, absorption and metabolism; minerals and bone; water balance and excretion; endocrinology, reproduction and lactation; and, finally, nervous system, special senses, skeletal muscle and temperature regulation.

The material within these parts follows a generally logical sequence, and most systems of both birds and mammals receive a respectable coverage. The lymphatic system, though, is a little light, being disposed of in a page or so (though the immune roles of lymph cells are discussed briefly elsewhere).

Within each chapter, the material is introduced at a level appro- priate to a veterinary student (or graduate who has forgotten most of the physiology of an earlier time!), and the concepts and principles are clearly explained in simple, though appropriately- technical language. The illustrations are generally adequate, though they lack the comprehensiveness, flair and eye-catching appeal found in some modem physiology texts.

Though a real effort seems to have been made to bring the material up-to-date, it is a little disturbing to find so many of the references belonging to earlier eras. For example, it was not uncommon for more than half the references at chapter-end to have been published more than 20 years ago. Though some may be classics, some are dated.

Dukes is a good book, comprehensive, easy to read and to understand, and it is likely to appeal especially to those wo developed an affinity with an earlier edition and now wish to update their physiology.

Trevor Heath

Australian Veterinary Journal Vol. 71, No. 6, June 1994 I87