This 261 page volume contains the reports and discussions of the sixth session of the "German Society for Blood Transfusion," held in March, 1957.
The problems of blood donation, storage, transfusion, and the German investigative work in the field are well covered. Discussions concerning the relative merits of bank blood and fresh blood in regard to coagulation problems are detailed and instructive. Most of the reports are supported by investigative data which indicate that fresh blood does not seem to hold a material advantage over bank blood in surgical bleeding problems.
The volume also contains excellent information in reference to problems which are peculiar to German medicine and it's organization. It is somewhat surprising to learn that there is little central direction or standardization of methods or materials. This results in multiple obstacles and sometimes dangerous practices. The concept of free blood donations does not seem to have crystallized