BOOK REVIEW. C. S. Lacaz published in the Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. S. Paulo, 1994, 36, 104.
Animal venoms: an integrated view (Venenos animais: uma visão integrada) is undoubtedly from now on a classical and brilliant publication coordinated by Dr. Benedito Barraviera. This professor, helped by others, founded the Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals, the newest Center of UNESP based in Botucatu.
In 1895, in Botucatu, the illustrious Brazilian scientist Dr. Vital Brasil, born in Campanha, State of Minas Gerais in 1865, started practicing medicine and treated a great number of snakebite victims, mainly in rural areas. He even organized a small ophidic laboratory to extract and study snake venoms. In 1897 he moved to São Paulo, and supported by Adolpho Lutz, he joined the Instituto Bacteriológico as an assistant. In 1901, he was indicated to set up and direct an annex of the Instituto Bacteriológico under the name of Serotherapeutic Institute, later on named Instituto Butantan, the greatest ophidic center which produces antivenom in the world. This was the first goal of his research work, compiled in his classical publication La Dèfense Contre L'Ophidisme, 1914 (São Paulo, Poccai & Weiss).
This new book is simply magnificent, reporting not only human envenomations caused by snakes, but also those caused by spiders, bees, wasps, caterpillars and fishes.
Special chapters are dedicated to the biology and biochemistry of venoms besides accidents to the interest of veterinarians. Collaboration of researchers from Belém, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Campinas and Ribeirão Preto made this work more comprehensive, so that it should be translated into English to reach a worldwide status.
Congratulations to CEVAP and to the Institutes and Schools of the Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, involved in this project (School of Pharmacy, Araraquara; School of Medicine, Botucatu, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Botucatu, Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu and Institute of Biosciences, Rio Claro), which will broaden the frontiers of science with a work that answers the needs of society. The book has twenty-nine chapters with selected bibliography. Thirty-six researches contributed the publication of this book, which offers an effective help to Brazilian health professionals.
CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Editora de Publicações Científicas Ltda. - Rua Major Suckow, 30 a 36 - Rocha - Caixa Postal 1555 - CEP 20.911-160 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil. Fone: 55-021-201.3722 - Fax: 55-021-261.3749.
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
11 Jan 1999 -
Date of issue
1995
