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other hand, authors had obviously made arrangements which cannot always be fully understood by the reader. For instance, Connamacher's chapter (Inducible Bacterial Resistance) deals with resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, macrolides and chloramphenicol, while Neu (Molecular Modifications of Antimicrobial Agents to Overcome Drug Resist~mce) discusses extensively the resistan~ve to aminoglycosides, which was not mentioned by the former author.

The veterinary interested reader will not find any specific information on pros and cons of the use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine in relation to public health. Further on, the chapter on the therapeutic use of semisynthetic penicillins does not even mention the use of these drugs, for example, in bovine mastitis. It is also striking that some authors restrict themselves to drugs which are in use only in the U.S. (all but one chapter are written by American authors).

However, these small shortcomings I mention do not alter the fact that the volume is, without doubt, a useful acquisition on the literature of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs.

In the Preface, written by the editor, the reader has his attention drawn to the fact that the introduction of chemotherapy to infections constitutes perhaps the most important single accomplishment of biomedical science in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality and of increasing man's life expec- tancy. "It should not be gambled away by careless practice of medicine nor outmaneuvered by the evolutionary ingenuity of pathogenic micro-organisms." These true remarks also imply that the volume is not just valuable for the pure genetic or fundamental microbiologist, but for everybody who aeals with chemotherapy including the clinician and the clinical microbiologist. In sum- mary, this text is highly recommended.

J. GOUDSWAARD (Charleston, S.C., U.S.A.)

GENERAL VIROLOGY

Kompendium der Allgemeinen Virologie. M. Horzinek. Parey's Studientexte 4. Paul Parey, Berlin, Hamburg, 1975, 168 pp., 80 illustrations, 14 tables, DM 29.00, ISBN 3-489-68916-X.

The comprehensive textbook(let) really comprises all aspects of general virology as needed by veterinary and medical students but also by persons who are looking for explanations in the field of clinical virology. Aspects of comparative virology were considered by the author where ever they were needed, making the booklet valuable for students in biology or agriculture, too. Basic knowledge of cell biology, immunology, biochemistry and molecular gene- tics are required for better understanding. Last, but not least, it was the aim of the author to promote the understanding of viral diseases in man, animals and plants aside from covering the exciting field of the biology of viruses. The

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text is written in such a good linguistic and illustrative manner that one feels it a pleasure to read it. This issue meets the requirements of what is needed today: a comprehensive and well illustrated review giving key references for further detailed informa~ion. Unfortunately, the book is available only in a German version. The translation into English would be a wise decision, thus giving this excellent edition a wider distribution.

B. LIESS (Hannover, Federal Republic of Germany)