Biochemical Lesions and Lethal Synthesis

The concept of a biochemical lesion is now so well established that it may surprise some to learn that the term was only introduced just over 30 years ago.Sir Rudolph Peters used it to describe the biochemical changes attributable to thiamine deficiency which arose in the brains of pigeons kept on rice diets, before any histological changes were demonstrable.This book describes this great discovery and subsequent work on biochemical lesions due to poisoning with arsenical substances (and the discovery of the antidote BAL) and with mustard gas.There is also an account of the chemical changes in epidemic dropsy and of the poisonous nature of fluoroacetate due to the lethal synthesis of fluorocitrate.This scientific autobiography is a record of experiments.Appropriately in the authors' index the name with the most references is that of Mr. R. W. Wakelin, for many years the personal technician of Sir Rudolph; next comes his old teacher Sir Frederick Hopkins and then follows a long list of former Oxford medical students and overseas visitors, who helped in the laboratory work.All of these will see here how their own small contribution fits into a much larger and consistent framework.They will also find up-to-date news of many old members of the laboratory and the authentic story of how the goat fell through the glass roof onto the undergraduate class.Sir Rudolph has always been interested in the organisation of chemical processes within the cell and has set out the thesis that biochemical reactions are dependent on the fluid anatomy of the cell-the integrity of the cytoskeleton.His views on this subject have been expounded in the Harben Lectures given in 1930 and in the Linacre Lecture delivered at Cambridge in 1962, both of which are reprinted here.Above all, he has always been a biologist and a physician seeking foi the biological and medical significance of chemical findings.Sir Rudolpb's many friends and old pupils will be delighted to have this personal book.One of them would like to recommend it also to those young men and women who are just beginning the serious study of biochemistry.Nowadays the subject can so easily become lost, buried deep under technical data.Here it can be seen in perspective and the student can get glimpses of its beauty and excitement. R. PASSMORE.