The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics

Abstract

Goodman and Gilman's seventh edition contains many significant new attractive features in its coverage of the chemotherapy of parasitic and the so-called “tropical diseases.” Notably, the authorship has changed. Leslie T. Webster, Jr., has written the section on parasitic diseases (pages 1004–1065); Gerald L. Mandell and Merle A. Sande have authored the section on tuberculosis and leprosy (pages 1199–1218), as well as the section on antifungal and antiviral agents (pages 1219–1239).An excellent new four-page table is found at the beginning of Section XI, summarizing the principal protozoan and metazoan infections, together with the drug treatment of first and second choice, as well as pertinent comments. A quick perusal of this chart, for example, indicates that for the treatment of Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), praziquantel is given as the drug of choice and niclosamide is listed as the drug of second choice. Praziquantel is preferred for T. solium because of the danger of cysticercosis.