Volume 10
Number I
January, 1984
gests that Photoimmunology is a potpourri of pa-
pers presented at a meeting. There are an over-
whelming number of such books being published
nowadays; Photoimmunology is not one of
them. Rather, it is a carefully put together, inte-
grated, multiauthored text on photoimmu-
nology.
The first chapter, by Dr. Kochevar, gives a very
clear introduction to the physical basis of pho-
tobiology. Other aspects of the principles of pho-
tobiology and relevant immunology are covered in
the six succeeding chapters. A second section,
consisting of three chapters, deals with experimen-
tal aspects of photoimmunology. The area that I
find particularly fascinating is that concerning the
peculiar immunologic behavior of skin tumors that
are induced with ultraviolet light in mice. On an
average, these tumors are highly immunogenie
and rejected when passed to other mice of the
same strain; however, they are accepted when
transplanted into similar mice that have been pre-
treated with ultraviolet radiation. To date, this
finding is not well understood. The local and sys-
temic immunosuppressive effects of ultraviolet
light in experimental animals are also reviewed in
these chapters.
The final section is given over to clinical pho-
toimmunology and consists of five chapters. It is
mainly written by Dr. Morison. This section is up
to date and is as thorough as its length of
seventy-five pages would allow. Light-induced
pathology and the effect of light on particular skin
diseases are discussed. Throughout there is an
admirable interweaving of clinical and basic sci-
ence materials, in which much information from
earlier chapters is brought to bear.
The prose of this book is uniformly good; it
makes for pleasant reading. There are essentially
no errors that might be corrected by a proofreader.
The fourteen-page index is well constructed and
helpful.
Photoimmunology is a volume that should be on
the required list for both the research dermatolo-
gist and the clinician, indeed, any intelligent adult
with a biology background will find it interesting.
I strongly recommend it.
Hem 3, C. Maguire, Jr., M.D.
Philadelphia, PA
Book reviews 149
Collagen in health and disease
Jacqueline B. Weiss and Malcolm I. V. Jayson,
New York, 1982, Churchill Livingstone Inc. 571
pages. $95.
Collagen, the most abundant animal protein,
represents two thirds of the dry weight of skin. It
is poorly understood by dermatologists because a
large amount of biochemical and relatively re-
stricted information is required when dealing with
its involvement in skin diseases. Collagen is
among the best-known proteins, and a large
amount of information describes the many aspects
of this structural molecule, from the genetic in-
formation to the mechanical properties of its
polymers and alterations.
This treatise clearly covers the various facets of
the question. The book is divided into two parts:
the first and longest deals with the basic aspects of
the molecules; the second is concerned with colla-
gen in various organs.
The first chapter, an introduction written by
one of the editors, presents collagen in all its
various aspects. It answers many questions and
explains the glossary of collagen terms. The sec-
ond chapter discusses important proteins which
display structural similarities with collagen, Clq
and acetylcholinesterase, for example. The next
seven sections summarize the basic processes in-
volved in biosynthesis, from the gene to the poly-
mers, and degradation. These chapters are easy to
read, and the pertinent information is not hidden
behind a mass of details of little interest for the
nonspecialist of collagen biochemistry.
In Chapters 10 to 16, the structure and function
of collagen are described under physiologic and
pathologic conditions, including its interaction
with platelets and proteins, its involvement in de-
velopment, and its role in immunologic disorders.
One chapter deals with a potential approach to the
pharmacologic modification of collagen and fibro-
sis, whereas another chapter describes the use of
immunologic technics to localize the various types
of collagen in tissues. An excellent summary of
the most significant information about collagen in
diseases is presented and illustrated by instructive
tables. A chapter dealing with the structure of the
basement membrane is written by one of the pio-
neers in the field.
The second part of the book entitled "Special

150 Book reviews
Tissue Collagen" presents the various types of
collagen molecules in different organs, cartilage,
bone, blood vessels, lung, teeth, etc., and skin.
The dermal scar is the subject of a separate chap-
ter. These presentations, which concern the basic
mechanisms involved in the development and dif-
ferentiation of the various tissues, do not overlap
with the first section of the book. Many specific
points are raised in these chapters.
The book also contains an appendix enumerat-
ing the primary structure of the various types of
collagen. A well-prepared index terminates the
treatise. Each of the chapters is followed by a fist
of selected references that are not always carefully
edited. In most instances, it covers the literature
up to 1981.
If you are a practitioner or a scholar and want to
know more about collagen, or if you require a
recent book which is easy to consult, well pre-
sented, and even sometimes refreshing to read,
this is certainly a good buy.
Charles M. Lapiere, M.D.
Libge, Belgium
The name of the rose
Umberto Eco (translated from the Italian by
William Weaver), New York, 1983, Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich Inc. 502 pages. $12.75
(hardback).
Semiotics is the study of signs, and this is a
modern semiotic novel, full of word play and
specially layered meanings. A series of murders
occur at an ancient abbey in northern Italy during
the autumn of 1323. The abbey contains an Aedi-
ficium, that is, a book copying center with an ex-
ceptional collection of books and manuscripts,
some only for clerical scholars and some consid-
ered too dangerous for anyone to see. Does politi-
cal control by the church require the suppression
of science and free speech? Indeed, it does.
This 1983 translation of Eco's book by William
Weaver is excellent reading, especially for people
who savor books, libraries, and who like both ac-
tion and argument. The detective, William of
Baskerville, is a Baconian who has studied with
William of Occam, and he is an astute philoso-
Journal of the
American Academyof
Dermatology
pher. He is a fascinating hero too, racing into an
action-packed conclusion. The ending is a hart'ow-
ing, vicarious experience for the bibliophilic
reader. This is one book which is difficult to put
down. The movie ought to be great, too. Don't
miss it!
Philip C. Anderson, M.D.
Columbia, MO
The Arab mind (revised edition)
Raphael Patai, New York, 1983, Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons. 435 pages. $12.95 (paperback).
Especially since the summer of 1982, when
Lebanon collapsed, we are aware of constant op-
pression, war, and decline over much of the Arab
world, revealing many shortcomings of govern-
ment and culture. Humanitarian issues compete
for our attention with concerns over economic and
political problems.
Having the facts and exerting an exemplary in-
fluence for rational morality in the community
distinguish the well-educated physician. Patai's
classic book on the Arab mentality, published in
1973 and revised in 1982, may be the best source
of necessary information.
Philip C. Anderson, M.D.
Columbia, MO
Dermatologic disorders in black children
and adolescents
Teresita A. Laude, M.D., and Raymond M.
Russo, M.D., Garden City, 1983, Medical Exam-
ination Publishing Co., Inc. (Excerpta Medica
Co.). 101 pages. $39.50.
This is a concise atlas format summary of cuta-
neous diseases encountered in black pediatric pa-
tients. The text, consisting of under one hundred
8• pages, can be read easily in a single
evening. The strongest points are: a logical divi-
sion of entities discussed, some reliable statistics
concerning incidence of selected disorders in
black children, and generally high-quality illus-
trations, particularly the sixteen color plates.
Major weaknesses include: extremely scant refer-
ence/bibliography listings, minimal therapeutic
suggestions, and an overall superficiality of dis-