Short Manual of Pharmacology

It is a scary test to write a textbook on ‘Pharmacology’, a subject having to deal with the science of drugs and their effect on living systems. It is the science which involves looking at the interaction of chemical substances with the systems in our bodies, as well as identifying ways in which our biological systems affect drugs. Even though medicine is said to be the most dynamic amongst biological disciplines; pharmacology can be said to be one among the best amongst health science disciplines. The first edition of “Short Manual of Pharmacology for Allied Health Science” textbook authored by Prof. Dr. Manimekalai & Co, is divided into 10 Chapters and has been written exceptionally well in a simple & a comprehensible way for any allied health science student to learn and grasp the content with ease. The first section deals with General Pharmacology. Autonomic nervous system drugs are discussed in the second section. Drugs acting on the kidney, Autacoids & respiratory system drugs, the central nervous system drugs, the drugs acting on gastrointestinal tract drugs and on Blood are discussed from the third to the seventh chapter. In the eight & ninth chapter the authors have provided an overview of the relationships between hormones that are physiologic constituents of the body as well as their pharmacologic use in replacement therapies and related endocrine dysfunction while in the next chapter on Chemotherapy the authors covers the various treatment with drugs that block or slow down cell growth, mainly given for cancer. The last chapter discusses the uniqueness of miscellaneous drugs that play a major role in chronic pain management making the entire book an essential one for an allied health science student to learn with a clear mind. Pharmacology being one of the core-subjects in any allied health science courses, the authors has made a commendable attempt in this direction providing an excellent condensation of the vast data so that the student can approach the subject in a more systematic way. The content provided in this manual has factual data as well as sufficient thematic message and is well synchronized, which is a very important point for any undergraduate to learn & understand in a befitting manner.