This book is promoted as a practical manual and data book for forensic scientists, toxicologists, analytical chemists, pharmacists, biochemists, pathologists, and police surgeons. The problems of identification of drugs and related compounds in biological material grow year by year, with the continual introduction of new drugs, insecticides, food additives, industrial chemicals, etc. In addition, self-poisoning with drugs is assuming epidemic proportions in many countries. Although sedativehypnotic drugs, tranquilisers, antidepressants, and salicylates account for the great majority of drugs taken in overdosage, the clinical chemist and forensic scientist must be able to identify a vast range of other less commonly encountered compounds.
This comprehensive text outlines methods for the isolation and identification of drugs and is therefore particularly welcome. It describes a large number of simple and rapid screening tests which can be performed with a minimum of apparatus; at the other end of the scale, it provides standardised reference data