Archives of Internal Medicine · 1970 · 1.7K citations · 0 references
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The 50th edition of the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, a 56‑year‑old staple in many laboratories worldwide, remains underused in physician office laboratories. The authors argue that the Handbook can be useful in those settings, offering basic information that supports new physical or chemical tests.
There is a special reason for reviewing this book at this time: it is the 50th edition of a compendium that is known and used frequently in most chemical and physical laboratories in many parts of the world. Surely, a publication that has been published for 56 years, withstanding the vagaries of science in this century, must have had something to offer. There is another reason: while the book is a standard fixture in most chemical and physical laboratories, including those in medical centers, it is not as frequently seen in the laboratories of physician's offices (those either in solo or group practice). I believe that the<i>Handbook</i>can be useful in those laboratories. One of the reasons, among others, is that the various basic items of information it offers may be helpful in new tests, either physical or chemical, which are continuously being published. The basic information may relate