BOOK REVIEW LIVRO*
BARRAVIERA, B., coord. - Venenos animais: uma visão integrada. Rio de Janeiro, Editora de Publicações Científicas, 1994. 411p. ilust.
"Venenos Animais: uma visão integrada" is undoubtedly from now on a classical and brilliant publication coordinated by Dr. Benedito Barraviera. This professor, helped by others, founded the Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals, the newest Unit of UNESP based in Botucatu.
In 1895, in Botucatu, the illustrious Brazilian Scientist Dr. Vital Brasil, born in Campanha, State of Minas Gerais in 1865, started practicing medicine and treated a great number of patients victims of snake-bite accidents, mainly in rural areas. He even organized a small ophidic laboratory to extract and study serpent venoms. In 1897 he moved to Sao Paulo, and supported by Adolpho Lutz, he joined the Instituto Bacteriológico as an assistant. In 1901, he was indicated to set up and direct an annex of the Instituto Bacteriológico under the name of Serotherapeutic Institute, later on named Instituto Butantan, the greatest ophidic center producing ophidic antiserum in the world. This was the first goal of his research work, compiled in his classical publication "La Défense Contre L' Ophidisme", 1914 (São Paulo, Poccai & Weiss).
This new book is simply magnificent, reporting not only accidents in humans caused by snakes, but also those caused by spiders, bees, wasps, caterpillars and fishes.
Special chapters are dedicated to the biology and biochemistry of venoms besides accidents to the interest of veterinarians. Collaboration of researchers from Belém, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Campinas and Ribeirão Preto made this work more comprehensive, so that it should be translated into English to reach a worldwide status.
Congratulations to CEVAP and to the Institutes and Schools of Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, involved in this project (School of Pharmacy, Araraquara; School of Meidicine, Botucatu, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Botucatu, Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu and Institute of Biosciences, Rio Claro), which will broaden the frontiers of science with a work that answers the needs of society. The book has twenty-nine chapters with selected bibliography. Thirty-six researchers contributed to this book, which offers an effective help to Brazilian health professionals.
Prof. Carlos da Silva Lacaz
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
20 Sept 2006 -
Date of issue
Apr 1994
