Progress in Chemical Toxicology, Vol. 5

461 base used for the original analysis is predominantly that seen in normal patients, while the critical interpretation is the sick patient. This reviewer, for example, recently saw a liver with extensive metastases proven to be over 4700 g at necropsy (3 times normal weight) measured as normal approximately 2 weeks before death by the author's techniques in the author's nuclear facility. It would seem that, on occasion at least, the subjective interpretation with its inherent common sense is still useful. This is the fifth volume of a series designed to explore recent advances in analytical and chemical toxicology. Previous volumes have addressed themselves to a variety of analytical techniques of interest to drug, industrial, and forensic toxi-cologists alike. The present volume is prefaced by a detailed discussion of the metabolic fate of specific inhalant poisons, volatile liquid toxins, and alkaloids. In a subsequent chapter Goldbaum and Dominguez contribute a variety of general toxicological screening procedures useful in analysis of both tissues and biological fluids. Screening of urine for narcotics and dangerous drugs is included, and the detection of morphine is treated separately. Compounds are isolated into acidic, basic, and neutral drug fractions prior to analysis by a series of solvent-solvent and back-extractions. Emphasis is placed upon ultraviolet spectrophotometry, gas liquid chromatography, and spectrofluorometry as basic analytical tools. An in-depth discussion of the analysis of phenothiazines and their sulfoxide me-tabolites is presented by Tompsett. Direct colorimetric tests are described as well as a variety of detailed extraction procedures. Spectrofluorometric, ultraviolet spec-trophotometric, and thin-layer chromatographic methodologies are included for soft tissues, blood, urine, and gastric contents. Tables outlining the separation and detection of phenothiazines by thin-layer chromatography are incorporated into the chapter as well as serum and urine levels of phenothiazines in overdose. The toxicology of synthetic organic polymers employed in coating materials is discussed by Heyndrickx with special attention to testing procedures used in the evaluation of such materials. Epoxy resins and polyvinyl chlorides are included. The theory of fluorescence analysis and applications of spectrofluorometry to toxicological problems are treated in a separate chapter. Bastos and Mule outline fluorometric analysis of many specific drugs and toxic agents. Microcrystal tests are introduced as comparison tests for whole molecules. The basis of microcrystal tests is the microscopic monitoring of the formation of a precipitate by chemical reaction of the analyte with a reagent. If two compounds are identical, their precipitates will match. …