O'Brien and Ibbott have compiled an impressive collection of procedures for a well-equipped hospital laboratory. The microscale methods are particularly desirable for the limited sample size obtainable from pediatric patients. The collection is up-to-date, including prepublication material. It should satisfy the needs of a sophisticated pediatrician in the way of diagnostic biochemical procedures.
The omission of the principle of the methods in most procedures and the absence of sample calculation make this manual rather difficult for an average laboratory technician to follow. The use of a Beckman spectrophotometer for blood glucose and hemoglobin determination is neither the simplest nor the most economical as the authors claimed. In spite of a few typographical errors and abbreviations without explanation, this manual should serve as a handy and useful source of information as intended by the authors.