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Book Reviews
O’Connor, L., Diagnostic Bacteriology Protocols, Humana
Press Inc., New Jersey, 2006, ISBN 1597451436, 225 pp.,
£61.00 (hard)
Louise O’Connor has assembled a compact and easilyaccessible collection of new technology protocols whichshould find a place in all laboratories where diagnostic bac-teriology is carried out. Building on the success of the firstedition there is much to commend in the timeliness of thisedition as it provides working protocols on techniqueswhich have been tried and tested by the authors of the indi-vidual chapters.
All diagnostic tests should aim for the accurate detec-tion, identification and possible typing (more often inthese times at a molecular level) of micro-organisms inthe sample of interest. Although the interest of the major-ity of the authors is in human medicine the protocols de-scribed are equally applicable in veterinary laboratories.Specific veterinary pathogens include Mycobacterium bo-
vis, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis,Coxiella burnetti and Brucella spp. The details providedabout the various techniques should allow the genericapplication of most of them to a pathogen of specificinterest.
Pathogenic bacteria can be found in a variety of habitatsand the methods described try to cover this range withmethods for detection from tissue, food and the naturalenvironment. The reviews cover a wide range of tech-niques, but also included are important descriptions of
methods to provide the basic materials for subsequentanalyses, such as methods for successful extraction of nu-cleic acid from samples. The new entrant to pathogen diag-nostics may be forgiven for thinking that all moderndiagnostic work is dependent on the various renditions ofthe all pervasive PCR technique. While the protocols de-scribed here do include fluorescence-based PCR, real-timePCR and reverse-transcription PCR, other methods de-scribed are Microarrays, amplified fragment-length poly-morphism and protein profiling, and peptide nucleic acidprobes.
The uniform structure of each chapter leads to an easyorientation for the reader with a Summary and five otherseparate sections: Introduction, Materials, Methods, Notesand References. The Notes section provides the trouble-shooting inputs which we know are essential for the suc-cessful application of new techniques. The use of clearline diagrams and crisp black and white prints reinforcesthe conclusion that this is a well thought out format forthe bench scientist. On a very practical point this bookcomes in a robust, easily handled A5 format which is apleasant change from the weighty tomes which are usuallyassociated with method laden books.
Willie DonachieMoredun Research Institute,
Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian,
EH26 0PZ, UK.
E-mail address: [email protected]
doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.12.002
T. Doherty, A. Valverde, (Eds.), Manual of Equine Anaes-
thesia and Analgesia, Blackwells Publishing, Oxford, 2006,
ISBN 1405129670, 376 pp., (soft)
In their Preface, the authors state that the Manual of
Equine Anesthesia and Analgesia is intended to be a usefulclinical guide with easily accessible information. The formatis one of short chapters presented in bullet note form thatserves to convey a large amount of information within alimited amount of space. It has a multi-author approach,including surgeons and cardiologists amongst its contribu-tors, an arguable strength.
That the majority of authors are from North Americadoes influence some of the content, but should not detractfrom its relevance to those in Europe, because drugs and
techniques widely used in Europe but less so in North Amer-ica are included. There is no information at all on druglicensing or regulations associated with specific drug use,for example opioids, and the reader should be aware of this.
One of the major strengths of this publication is theextensive physiology section that serves to successfully inte-grate physiology with the clinical practice of equineanaesthesia. I particularly enjoyed the very readable car-diovascular and respiratory systems chapters. This ap-proach does, however, lead to some problems withlayout. The section on airway obstruction is in the respira-tory physiology chapter, rather than more logically in thecomplications and emergencies section.
Inhalational anaesthesia and the use of adjunct agentswith this technique, which is termed by the authors ‘‘partial
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The Veterinary Journal 173 (2007) 701–704
TheVeterinary Journal
intravenous anaesthesia’’ is described together with a list of‘‘drugs and drug regimens’’. Unfortunately the individualmulti-modal techniques and their inherent problems andbenefits are not well described. This is a missed opportunitybecause one of the few notable developments in equineanaesthesia is the recent move away from the total relianceon inhalational techniques for anaesthetic maintenance.The management chapter is comprehensive with a logicalapproach to dealing with physiological and pathologicalstates, other Equidae, and wild Equidae. The inclusion ofinformation on euthanasia is refreshing and the techniqueswell described.
As a quick reference text there are, in my opinion,some notable weaknesses. Hypotension, arguably themost common intra-operative problem in equine anaes-thesia, receives scant attention, and the adrenergic ago-nists often used to treat it even less. In fact, trying to
find a consistent definition of what constitutes hypoten-sion is difficult. Much of what is stated as fact in ‘‘blackand white’’ actually remains controversial, and the inabil-ity to refer to the author sources due to the lack of ref-erences is very frustrating, especially for the experiencedclinician.
The strong physiology section alone provides reason en-ough for recommendation, especially to the practitioner,however the lack of referencing and some notable omis-sions do detract from the overall value of the book.
Louise ClarkAnimal Health Trust,
Lanwades Park,Kentford,
Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU, UK
E-mail address: [email protected]
doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.11.014
D.C. Bourne, S.I. Boardman, Wildlife: Oil Spill Response
(With Special Reference to the River Thames, UK), Wildlife
Information Network, Atherstone, Warwickshire, UK, 2006
CD-ROM, £50
This compilation of current knowledge about oiling ofwildlife is another excellent addition to the growing collec-tion of topics produced by the Wildlife Information Net-work. The volume brings together best practices andrecent advances in this particular field, and stronglyemphasises the need for adequate resources particularlyin relation to staff numbers and expertise, and suitablefacilities to cope with oiled wildlife.
The CD-ROM is broadly divided into two sections. Thefirst deals with the types and effects of oil pollution, and thespecies and habitats to be found along the Thames. Thesecond section is a flowchart that takes the reader throughthe stages of an oiling response with detailed sections aboutthe triage, treatment, stabilisation, washing, and release ofaffected animals. All types of oil are covered, including theincreasingly involved vegetable oils. Petroleum oils are dis-cussed in depth, however, the particularly harmful effectsof corrosive diesel fuels should have been covered in moredetail. The adverse effects of oils on animals are described,including secondary problems such as Aspergillosis.
It is not clear why the volume is subtitled ‘‘With Special
Reference to the River Thames’’. This is somewhat mislead-ing as it deals with marine oiling in as much (if not more)detail than inland spills. The subheading is unfortunate assome would-be readers might be put off as it implies apurely local perspective, whereas the volume comprehen-sively covers marine oil spills about which more is known.The natural history of the Thames is interesting, but seemsout of place on this particular CD-ROM, and of relevance
to only a small number of potential readers. It may perhapshave been better served as a link. However, this does notdetract from the wealth of information contained aboutoiling generally, and although inland waterways seem tobecoming increasingly affected, most oiling events are stillin the marine environment.
The volume takes the form of a collection of statementsand quotes from other sources. Each point is referenced forthe reader to pursue if desired. It is sometimes difficult toprioritise the information presented in this way as mostcomments have equal emphasis, and only when a point is re-peated several times does its increased relevance becomeapparent. However, as an encyclopaedia, the volume isimpressive, and there are endless links in all directions forthe reader to take. The links are easy to use and the benefitsobtained become greater as the user becomes familiar withthe layout and organisation of the volume. There are alsooptions to download documents from other organisations.Overall, the volume contains a vast amount of informationand is a tribute to the stamina of the editors in compiling it.
The authors stress throughout that facilities and exper-tise are needed to deal with oiled wildlife, and howevertempting it might be to have a go, it should not be under-taken without suitable resources. Greater emphasis couldhave been given to the potential need for holding facilitiesto accomodate large numbers of treated animals whilstenvironmental clean-up efforts are undertaken. Otherwise,if washed birds are released too soon, they are likely to tra-vel back to the site and get re-oiled.
The CD is not designed to be read from start to finish,but anyone with an involvement in oiling incidents orwildlife disease generally will find plenty to interest andperhaps enlighten them. Everything seems to have beencovered, and even the often-neglected fish, sometimes for-
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