774 BOOK REVIEWS reminder of its existence. New drugs and updated information on the use and abuse of medicaments could obviously expand the text overwhelmingly every 5 years or so. Hence, one of the main editorial tasks is to sift through all this new material, incorporat- ing what is judged to be valuable and discard- ing some of the more obsolescent text. The format closely follows that of its pre- decessor, which departed considerably from earlier versions but has presumably come to be accepted by its readers. Apart from new matter, there is some re-arrangement (e.g. the generic presentation of dermatological agents) and wide usage of diminutive print to avoid a vast increase in the number of pages. Martindale traditionally provides extremely broad coverage of 'official' medicaments, new ones not yet granted full recognition and older remedies still in use. The amount of information on technological aids, such as emulsifying agents, is less comprehensive but substantial nevertheless. If one accepts the general editorial policy of Martindale, the residual areas for debate are perhaps the sequence of entries and the selection of references. A simple classification and group- ing of 2 800 medicaments is almost too much to expect the saving grace, however, is a thoroughly complete index from which any entry may be rapidly located. Toxic effects and uses of medicaments are described by means of brief editorial sum- maries along with numerous abstracts from the literature. Toxicological references are mainly concerned with human case re- ports this is perhaps the best approach if Martindale is to be useful, for example, in overdosage emergencies. Presumably, the summarizing of laboratory reports on toxi- cology has been considered and rejected on space considerations. The various abstracts mainly deal with publications up to 1970, with a few reaching 1971. Even possession of the latest handbook cannot substitute for keeping in touch with the most recent original publications in one's own field but the editorial staff of Martindale have per- formed a herculean service within the limits of feasibility. The 26th edition is a worthy successor to its forebears and fully merits a place on our shelves N.J. VAN ABBlg