CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY OF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS. ACUTE POISONING (HOME AND FARM).
By Marion N. Gleason, M.Sc. (L.C.), Prof. Robert E. Gosselin, M.D., Ph.D. (MedicalSchool), Harold C. Hodge, Ph.D., D.Sc.Baltimore: William and Wilkins Co.,1963 (second edition). 1228 pp. $22.00.
This is a chemical age. Each minute of the day we are faced with a host of different chemical formulations from toothpaste to soap, from deodorizer to food preservative, from detergents to ink, and from antibiotics to automobile fuel. Some of these items have potential toxicity in a large industrial sense, while many are available in attractive containers which inadvertently entice the young toddler at home.
The problems of poisoning a generation ago involved the ingestion of standard medications, such as aspirin and barbiturates, or sampling the wrong kind of mushroom. These problems remain with us and are often serious but have the advantage of simplicity and long experience behind their treatment. A number of different standard toxicology texts are available for reference.
The unique feature of this gigantic text is the analysis of the ingredients in over 15,000 currently available commercial products. An ingenious cross reference file immediately allows one to single out which ingredients of any given product are most toxic and the appropriate specific therapy which can be undertaken as an emergency effort, if necessary. In cases where the commercial name of a product is either not known or not listed, another section of the book includes general formulations specifying the likeliest makeup of a product given a knowledge of its purpose. For instance, it is possible to predict with fair accuracy the content of nail cosmetics, corn removers, paint brush cleaner, farm fertilizers, or adhesives. Dr. Gosselin at Dartmouth Medical School is continuing the toxicological analysis of new products as they appear on the market and a supplement to the present edition with this information appears periodically.
As one who has utilized this text as the major source in answering emergency poison information calls in a regional hospital, I can testify to the amazing ingenuity and utility of this book which helps to fill a large area of need in our increasingly complex society. We can expect, and will continue to need, new editions of this book as years go by, hopefully with the same useful format.
Clinical Instructor in Medicine
