Charles Lyell

Pergamon Press, which has in recent years taken interest in matters neurophysiological, has collected the writings of 56 authors, from many countries, dealing with biochemical, physiological, pharmacological and behavioral aspects of nervous function. Most of the material is a succinct compilation of previously published observations; but some of it, such as the study by Smith, Stacey and Young on brain serotonin concentrations and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activity in the developing nervous system of rodents, is new. Several articles are of particular interest. McLennan deals briefly but concisely with such "Inhibitory Factors in the Brain" as Factor I, gamma-aminobutyric acid, gamma-aminobutyrylcholine, dopamine and norepinephrine. Costa, Gessa, Kuntzman and Brodie discuss the storage and release of serotonin and catecholamines in brain, and argue convincingly that reserpine acts not by affecting brain norepinephrine economy, but by preventing serotonin storage. Everett and Wiegand make a plea for more detailed and accurate descriptions of psychopharmacologically-induced behavioral states and for more accurate quantitation of the concomitant biochemical changes. Eccles treats the complex problem of chemical transmitters in the spinal cord with clarity and brilliance. It is indeed unfortunate that the excellent contributions of these scientists should be put together in a book as poorly edited as this is. The number of misprints is astonishing. The method of listing references varies with the nationality of the author. Syntax in several articles, particularly those by Hayashi and Nagai, is so poor as to becloud content on occasion. These deficiencies, plus the fact that the binding of the reviewer's copy split without provocation, makes one wish that the Pergamon Press had contributed as much care to publishing this book as the authors did to their research. PETER V. TISHLER