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In recent years, several practical manuals pertaining to microclinical chemistry have appeared. These have served to reverse a historical tendency among those responsible for the introduction as well as the modification of chemical procedures, to neglect the needs of pediatric patients. There is an increasing awareness among clinical chemists that a new method (e.g., for electrolytes) to be worth its salt (ho!) must be useful for all of the patients in a hospital; hence the volume of specimen to be analyzed has been gradually reduced out of consideration for the limited blood volume—among other reasons—of small children.
The manual of O'Brien and Ibbott is an excellent comprehensive and detailed listing of all methods which they have found useful for the practice of pediatrics. Some of the tests are rather complex and rarely performed, while others require expensive special equipment; but these are, no doubt, included so that the complete experience