Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and Mescaline in Experimental Psychiatry

RAUWOLFIA. By R. E. Woodson, Jr., H. W. Youngken, E. Schlittler, and J. A. Schneider. Boston, Toronto, Little, Brown and Co., 1957. 137 pp. $5.50. For research workers who are interested in this important group of alkaloids, which includes the fascinating drug reserpine, this should prove to be a useful and compact reference volume because it is an attempt to collate all pertinent information available (up to about eight months ago) on the subject. The book is composed of four chapters covering four fields of knowledge on the subject, contributed by well-known authorities: Robert E. Woodson, Jr., on the botany of Rauwolfia, Heber W. Youngken on the pharmacognosy of Rauwolfia, Emil Schlittler on its chemistry, and Jurg A. Schneider on its pharmacology. The chapter on the chemistry of the alkaloids is somewhat more satisfying than that on the pharmacology, because the chemistry is now fairly well understood and our chemical knowledge about these alkaloids near complete, having reached its culmination in the synthesis of reserpine by Woodward's group in 1956. The weakest point in our chemical knowledge, at least for now, is in the generalizations which may be drawn upon the relation between chemical constitution and reserpine-like activity. Very little on this subject appears in this book, and the reason is simply that the subject has been only superficially explored to date. Probably the most complex problem tackled in this volume is the pharmacology of Rauwolfia. Doctor J. A. Schneider has done a creditable job in gathering together the most pertinent information and presenting it in a well-organized fashion. It is clear that he has given a great deal of thought to the problem and has brought to bear on it his own considerable investigations in the field. If one were pressed for a criticism of this chapter (and this is more in the nature of a personal desire than a criticism), one might say that it would have been interesting to know in what direction Dr. Schneider leans concerning the mechanism of action of reserpine. On the other hand, giving such an indication might easily lead to the criticism which can be made on his willingness to dismiss as minor in reserpine's mode of action the direct peripheral effects of the drug. It seems to this reviewer that a delineation of the relative importance of its peripheral actions must await more definitive investigations in this area. NICHOLAS J. GIARMAN