Lumbar Disc Lesions

experience which nmust include a comparison of past with present. F. A. Gibbs discussed abnormal electrical activity in the temporal regions and its relationship to abnormalities of behaviour. Hc deals mainly with spike discharges and points out that focal or generalised abnormalities are largely age determined, and that foci tend to shift with increasing age. He deals with the clinical differences usually found between mid-temporal and anterior temporal foci and discusses the differences between ictal and non-ictal psychiatric disorder in these patients, concluding that the evidence suggests that they are not only independent, but fundamenitally diffcrent. Dr. Gibbs regrets that some of his cases did not have the close psychiatric scrutiny on this point that he would have liked. The reader wvill share his regret, for a very important question remains unanswered. Hoch discusses psychomimetic agents an,d tranquillisers. A considerable volume of literature has appeared since this article was written, but there has been little progress in our understanding either the site or mode of action of these compounds. Woolley's authoritative article on serotonin and its anti-metabolites summarises a very important field of enquiry, but it is a valuable contribution also because of the discussion it stimulated. Kety's remarks are well worth reading. He drew attention to the fact that the anti-metabolites of serotonin have very varied behavioural effects, thus suggesting that serotonin is only part of the answer. Harold G. Wolff and his co-workers report on an ambitious study of the highest integrative functions in man during stress. They utilised psychological test batteries to assess learning, memory, the ability to categorisc and to generalise, adaptability, affective expression and resistance to disorganisation. Amongst the patients tested were those who had been subjected to brain surgery. The authors found that the site of the damaged region in the cerebral hemnispheres was obviously important as regards the effect on functions such as sensation, speech, writing, etc., but that the form and degree of impairment, as measured by their test batteries, wvas independent of the site of tissue loss within the neopallium, but was closely related to the mass of tissue removed or damaged. If one accepts that the tests actually measured what was expected of them, then this contribution could be regarded as further evidence in support of the idea that mind is the integration itself, the relationship of one functioning part to another. This book can be thoroughlyr recommended to neurologists, neurosurgeons, and psychiatrists. It will serve as a stimulus to the latter to develop techniques of examination that will provide information of a kind that can be catcgorised andi correlated with that obtained by workers in allied fields. Those working for a D.P.M. would do well to refer to it. J. G. G.