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The title of this book rather belies its contents. One would gather the impression that it was a book on allergy prepared by an allergist for allergists. On the contrary, the author is clinical professor of pediatrics in one of the New York schools and the book has been prepared for the practitioner of medicine who is engaged in the treatment of disease and all its ramifications. Ratner was motivated, as he says in the preface, by a desire to understand allergy. Then having gained knowledge of this very important physical state, it became obvious to him that it would be wise to acquaint the medical profession with the reasons why serums and vaccines were given, why blood substitutes and sulfonamides were an integral part of chemotherapy and why these various agents acted as they did. It would seem that the author has well accomplished his objective. As a practicing