The Excerpta Medica Foundation has taken on the task of publishing complete proceedings from various international congresses. The present volume is 182 in this series. This symposium was held in May 1968, so that publication delay has been no more than usual. The resulting product is a slim, slick book which commands a high price for its size. Is it worth the price or the time—demands of an internist?
I think not. As is often the case with such symposia, the unifying theme suggested by the title is difficult to find in the various papers, and the quality of articles, as well as their relevance to the topic in question, varies greatly. Two of the best papers are hardly related to the title at all: one by co-editor, Pletscher, is a superb, brief review of the possible mechanisms of action of antipsychotics and antidepressants in relation to biogenic amines. Another,