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d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD 25), 1-Methyl-d-Lysergic Acid Butanolamide (UML 491) and O-Phosphoril-4- Hydroxy-N-Dimethyl Tryptamine (Psyloeibine) were kindly supplied by Sandoz S.A., N-Methyl-3.Piperidyl Benzilate (JB 336) by Leo G. Abood Ph.D.

References ABRA~SON, H. A., B. SKLAROFS~Y and M. O. BA~ON: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

(LSD 25) Antagonists. II. Development of Tolerance in Man to LSD 25 by Prior Admirdstration of MLD 41 (1-MethyLd-Lysergie Acid Diethylamide). Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chicago) 79, 201--207 (1958).

BALESTRIEI~I, A. : Crossed Tolerance between LSD 25 and Mescaline. Psychotropic Drugs, 581--582, S. Garattini and V. Ghetti (eds.) Amsterdam: Elsevier Publ. Co. 1957.

- - , and D. FONTANARI'.: Acquired and Crossed Tolerance to Mescaline, LSD 25, and BOL 148. Arch. gen. Psychiat. 1, 279--282 (1959).

CHOLDEN, L. S., A. KV~LA~D and C. SAVAOE: Clinical Reactions and Tolerance to LSD in Chronic Schizophrenia. J. nerv. ment. Dis. 122, 211--221 (1955).

F~E]~I)MAN, D. X., and G. K. A~AJANIA~: Time Parameters in Acute Tolerance, Cross Tolerance, and Antagonism to Psyehotogens. Fed. Proc. 18 (1959).

GINZ~L, K.K. , and W. MAYEmG~oss: Prevention of Psychological Effects of d-Lysergie Acid Diethylamide (LSD 25) by its 2-Brom Derivative (BOL 148). Nature (Loud.) 178, 210 (1956).

HosI(o, M. J., and g. TISLOW: Acute Tolerance to Mescaline in the Dog. Fed. Proc. 15 (i956).

ISBELL, I-I., E. J.--~[INER and C. R. Loo~N: Cross Tolerance between d-2-Brom- Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (BOL 148) and the d-Diethylamide of Lysergic Acid (LSD 25). Psychopharmacologia 1, 109--116 (1959).

MUI~P]=t~EE, H.B., E. W. J. DEMAAt~, H. L. W]:LL]:AMS and L. L. ]~YA~: Effects od Lysergic Acid Derivatives on Man; Antagonism between d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and its 2-Brom Congener. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 122, 55 (1958).

T ~ n ~ , W.M.J . , M. AL~VDEV~ and S. M ~ I S : Chemotherapeutic Trials in Psychosis. III. Addendum -2-Brom-d-Lysergie Acid Diethylamide (BOL 148). Amer. J. Psychiat. 116, 261--262 (1959).

Dr. A~o~Io BALESTI~IEI~I, L. D. Clinica Neurologiea, Sassari/Italy

B i b l i o g r a p h i e s of C u r r e n t L i t e r a t u r e . L i t e r a t u r i ~ b e r s i c h t e n B i b l i o g r a p h i e s

P s y c h o p h a r m a c o l o g y - - P r o b l e m s i n E v a l u a t i o n . Edited by JO~THA~ O. COLE and RAL~ W. GEICARD. 662 pages. Publication 583 National Academy of Sciences - - National l~esearch Council. Washington 25 D. C. 1959.

An important conference on the evaluation of pharmacotherapy in mental illness was held in Washington in September 1956. I t was sponsored by the NationM

260

Ins t i tu te of Mental Health, The National Academy of Sciences - - Nat ional Research Council and The American Psychiatr ic Association. A planning group had met some months before and had set up five committees: one of these was concerned exclusively with overall planning and co-ordination, another with the preliminary screening of drugs and the other three with the clinical problems of pa t ien t selection and controls, tes t conditions and evaluat ion respectively. Four of these committees invi ted consultants to join in the preparat ion of working papers which formed the basis of thei r discussions during the first two days of the conference. The results of these discussions were then summarised a t a plenary session which was a t tended by near ly 1000 people.

This book contains the substance of the work which went into the several meetings. I t includes the working papers presented to the planning commit tee; the working papers which were presented to the ad hoc committees and the subse- quent discussions; the summaries presented to the main conference and an edited version of the discussions there. The editors have also included other material when this seemed relevant .

The results of these labours const i tute an impressive demonstrat ion of the American contr ibut ion to psychopharmacology. The distinguished representatives of the na tura l sciences, the social sciences and clinical psychiatry covered most of the field and the formal papers are of the s tandard which one would expect from the part icipants. If one singles out the K1LLAMS' "Methodological Considerations in Neur0pharmacological Research", KI~A~EI~ and GREENHOUSE on "Determinat ion of Sample Size and Selection of Cases", WIKLEP~ On "The Loci and Mechanisms of Action of Phenotropie Drugs Considered in Relation to Screening Procedures" and GI~EI~LAT~ and LEvI~SO~ on "The Sociopsycholpgical Aspects of the Evaluat ion of Therapeutic Change" it is to i l lustrate the scope of the material ra ther t han to imply any differences in quality.

The sections devoted to discussion may present more difficulties to the reader, perhaps especially the European reader, who is less accustomed to this mode of presentation. Some of the discussions undoubtedly serve to convey vividly the clashes of opinion which a t t end some of the basic problems of psychopharmacologi- cal research. In this category, for example, would come the disagreement between Dr. K~TY and Professor S~:I~EIr (p. 231) on the value and l imitat ions of operant conditioning techniques; similarly, Dr. FREY~tA~'S vigorous defence of the clinical s tandpoint (p. 333) provides a s t imulat ing introduction to his paper on "Selection of Pat ients from the Clinical Point of View" (p. 372). l%rther , the discussions contain some s ta tements like those of Dr. GRV~DEEST (p. 165) and Dr. ]3RAZlEI~ (p. 187) which are brief communications in themselves. On the other hand, some passages are repetitious and confusing and the studious reader may well be distract- ed by the enter ta ining jokes and the more exuberant exchanges which lubricated the proceedings.

But these are minor strictures on a volume which stands out as a landmark in the l i terature of psychopharmacology and which ca~ies the s tamp of all thority in so much of its content. As a work of reference and as a commentary the book remains indispensable to everyone interested in the theory and practice of psycho- pharmacology. And if, as Dr. FELIX points out in his introduction, the most im- por tan t function of the conference was to effect " a n exchange of ignorance" then we are now able to see t h a t i t also prepared the ground for a number of sites on which work has been in progress during the past four years.

MICHAEL SHEPHERD, D.M.(London)