Oxford Biology Readers No. 74: The Control of Plant Disease

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BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
that of conciseness, again the requirement is fulfilled. The discipline of compressing so
much information within the framework of 64 pages is more likely to be appreciated by
the reader than by the author. There are times, perhaps, when one wonders if condensation has resulted in oversimplification. For instance, in view of the sinister problems of
widespread pathogen resistance to even the more recently introduced penicillins, it may
give an impression of false security to read: ‘It is true that the resistance of staphylococci,
pneumococci and gonococci to penicillin is clinically most disturbing, but in no other
type of infection has an embarrassing degree of penicillin-resistance arisen after 30 years
of intensive use’. Nevertheless, by and large the author is to be congratulated for his
succinct and balanced presentation of facts.
On the third criterion, readability, Selection of Drugs scores well. Professor Albert
has the gift, not universally found among scientists, of making his subject attractive and
stimulating.
Thus the book is vindicated by fulfilling a need with brevity and appeal. Students from
a range of biochemical disciplines would benefit from the book. The study of the mode
of action of drugs at the molecular level is given proper emphasis today in Pharmacy
courses. May we hope that every medical student also will become similarly acquainted
with the theoretical basis underlying the use of the powerful selective agents he will be
responsible for administering in his future career?
JOHN FRYER
Oxford Biology Readers No. 74: The Control of Plant Disease
B. E. J. WHEELER
Oxford University Press, London, 1975, pp. 16, f0.30
Although the economic impact of diseases of animals, and particularly man, is widely
appreciated by non-pathologists, the ravages of plant disease, with some exceptions,
frequently occur unnoticed, and this booklet does much to publicize the importance of
plant diseases and the problems of controlling them. The subject is tackled in an
admirably logical way by considering van der Plank’s suggestion that the progress of an
epiphytotic can be described by the mathematics of continuous compound interest.
Disease control can then be obtained by decreasing any of the three variables that contribute to the progress of a disease, there being the amount of initial inoculum, the rate at
which plants become infected and the length of time during which infection occurs. The
various control measures that are used are then categorized according to which of these
variables is to be controlled.
P. LANGCAKE
Les Enzymes: CinCtique et MCcanisrne d’Action
L. PBNASSE
Masson, Paris, 1974, pp. 227, 88F
Cet ouvrage en langue franqaise est destinC aux Ctudiants du Ccrtificat de Biochimie
Structurale et Mttabolique qui fait partie de diffkrentes Maitrises scientifiques des UniversitCs Franqaises: Maitrises de Biochimie, de Physiologie, de GknCtique, de Biologie
Animale, VCgktale ou Humaine . . . I1 s’agissait donc d’assurer une bonne formation de
base en Enzymologie aux Ctudiants de ces diverses disciplines. Le livre correspond trks
exactement au cours d’Enzymologie gtntrale tel qu’il est donnC par I’auteur 1 I’UniversitC de Paris VI.
Avant de passer a I’analyse plus dttaillte de I’ouvrage il convient de prtciser la double
appartenance de L. Ptnasse B un Centre de Recherches industrielles de Roussel-UCLAF
1975