Statistical Methods in Biology

the discharge of elderly patients. This has increased the turnover and shortened the length of stay without an increase in transfer of patients to the geriatric unit. This book is a useful summary of an important problem and will be of interest to physicians in both general and geriatric medicine. RWS THE first edition of this book was published in 1959 and reprinted on ten occasions from then until 1979, thus illustrating its popularity and usefulness. This second edition should be no less in popularity as, with one or two exceptions, it is merely a duplication of the original. In fifteen chapters, the author covers many of the simpler statistical concepts and their uses in biological and medical research, e.g. variability. estimation, significance tests, correlation and regression, and experimental design. Non-parametric and distribution-free tests are increasingly being used in medicine today and the author has recognised this fact by including a new chapter on these. However, as only a few of the simpler non-parametric techniques are discussed the reader should have been directed to a more comprehensive text book on this subject, e.g. Sigel (1956). In general, the non-mathematically qualified reader should have little difficulty in reading this book. Mathematical symbolism is minimal, no trigonometry, goemetry, or calculus is used. All that is required is an elementary knowledge of algebra. The practical examples are well set out and simple to follow. For these reasons I would recommend this book as a useful introduction to the uses of statistical methods in medical research. THIS is an exciting book written by an experienced and enthusiastic clinical microbiologist who has his feet firmly on the ground and his head well below cloud level. I agree with almost all of his suggestions and statements and in particular his preaching and practice regarding the uses (and abuses) of antimicrobial agents. One is entvious that the staffing situation in the author's laboratories allows him and his colleagues not only to do daily ward rounds but to collaborate so closely with pharmacists and others: the impact of such involvement is undoubtedly beneficial to the patient but the majority of clinical microbiologists are denied such full participation at present whilst we are recruiting and training young medical graduates. Administrators should note that in the last three years the total sum spent on anti-microbials in the author's hospital has not increased at all although the cost of all (other) …