The Mode of Action of Drugs on Cells.

In this volume, Dr. Clark has collected and summarized the available data bearing on the fundamental problem of pharmacology; namely, the nature of the reaction between the drug molecule and the cell. This problem is not alone the most fundamental but is also still the most elusive and poorly understood in the whole field of drug research. The author's approach to an understanding is through the methods of quantitative pharmacology and statistical analyses of the results obtained. Some of the methods employed are: (1) microinjection experiments, (2) quantitative estimates of drugs fixed on cell surfaces and entering the cells, (3) measurements of the rate of action of drugs, (4) measurements of the rate of washout of drugs, and (5) experiments showing the existence of active patches or receptors on the cell surface. The question of individual variation and its relation to drug action and idiosyncrasy is discussed. The skewing of