Reviews Edited by A. R. Brotunlie

ORANNY BEWARE

Guide to Medicinal Plants Paul Schauenberg and Ferdinand Paris (Idutterworth I're.re.rs, Guildford, 1977, 383pp., index, A;J-95)

This edition is the English translation of a French text first published in 1974. From cover to cover this small book is replete with information and will provide many hours of fascinating reading for either the layman or academic seeking to extend their knowledge of medicinal or toxic plants.

A brief introductory section describes how to use thc guidc and provides instructions for the collection and use 01' plants in medicinal potions. The following nineteen chapters contain descriptions of 401 plants. Each chapter is dedicated to a group of plants, the group being classified according to the major, active agents present within each plant e.g., plants containing alkaloids, ranunculosides, cardenolisides, saponisides and vitamins etc. For each of the 401 plants circd thc rcadcr is provided with a Latin name; common name(s) in English, French and German; habitat; botanical description; flowering season; a list of active constituents; the toxic or medicinal properties of the active constituents and their use in homeopathy or folk-medicine.

Chapter 20 provides the "do-it-yourself" entl~usiast with recipes for tending a varietv of ailments such as cardiac conditions. constiuation. insomnia and stimulation of lactation.

Th r guirle has heen supplied with 25 pages of' indices, abbreviations and glossaries of botanical and therapeutic terms which have been well coxnpiled, although less can be said of the colour plates. CJolour illustrations of 235 plants have brrn crammed together at the end ol'the book in an apparently random manner which detracts from an otherwise pleasing publication. The majority of thc illustrations arc adcquate for plant identification hut those of Hemlock and Fo(11's Parsley could be improved considering the highly toxic prnprrties of these plants.

M. D. OSSELTON

HOW IS IT TOXIC?

Drug and Chemical Toxicology L'olume I ATos. 1 @ 2 J. G. KP//ET, Ed. (~lIarcel Dekker, New Z'ork, N u . 1 1977-78, 11'0. 2 1978; 101 atld I ISpp. , E21 per uolume of four is.rue.r)

This is a rclativcly ncw journal fur the rapid con~rnunication of research papess, reviews and notes concerning anirnal toxicology, teratology, muta- genesis and carcinogenesis. Most of thc 14 papers in the first two issues are academic, although three relate to human studies, i.e., genetic damage caused by drugs, the toxici~y of hair dyes and the safety evaluation or a new bacterio- static. The typc of information contained in these volumes is aimcd at those who arc: attempting to rliscovcr the mechanisms by which drugs causc toxic effects. For the moment, the average forensic toxicologist will find little of interest, but looking to thc fiiture he may draw on this information to interpret his analytical findings.

A. C. MOFFAT