Many aspects of dermatotoxicology have received inadequate attention or study in the past, and the editors of this volume are to be congratulated for their in-depth focus on this subject. There are 21 chapters in the book, and nine of these chapters deal exhaustively with the subject of skin irritation and contact sensitivity.
Comprehensive reviews on sebaceous glands, cutaneous metabolism, permeability theory, and immunologic aspects of contact sensitivity provide an excellent background for much of the other material presented in this volume. Two chapters on photocontact allergy are authoritative and well-written, as are chapters on contact urticaria and cutaneous granulomas. A few contributions, such as those on cutaneous carcinogenesis and pigmentary effects of topically applied agents, are unduly abbreviated, however. Conversely, some of the authors have dealt with experimental methodology in too much detail. This reviewer's main concern is with the balance of subject matter and the omission of important