Handbook of Drugs and Chemicals Used in the Treatment of Fish Diseases: A Manual of Fish Pharmacology and Materia Medica [Hardcover]

Nelson Herwig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1979 | ISBN-10: 039803852X | ISBN-13: 978-0398038526

By Nelson Herwig, Houston Zoological Gardens, Houston, Texas. With Forewords by Louis Garibaldi and R. E. Wolke. Professional fish culturists, amateur aquarists and veterinarians will all acclaim this unique compilation of drugs useful in the treatment of fish diseases. The author has assembled the widely scattered knowledge of fish pharmacology and organized it into a logical and easily accessible format. The main part of the text covers therapeutics, other than drug or chemotherapy, in fish diseases; drug therapy, including drug sources, active ingredients, forms of medication, methods of administration, and calculation of dosages and solutions; action or uses of drugs, with data on classification by activity or action of fish, antiseptics and disinfectants, chemotherapy, and antibiotic therapy; and toxicology. The remainder of the book, devoted to materia medica, offers annotated dosages and treatments and an alphabetical listing of drugs and synonyms.

Editorial Reviews

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From the foreword....

For THOUSANDS OF YEARS Man has cultured fish. The species of fish raised have varied from climate to climate and geographic area to geographic area, but the final result has been the same in each instance, an endeavor that has brought food and aesthetic pleasure to mankind. The publication of this book brings to mind the responsibilities of various professions for the health of fish associated with such culture.

Contemporary fish culture has reached new heights of productivity. More and more in the modern world, fish are commercially produced for human consumption and placed in aquaria for their aesthetic beauty. In both instances the animals are raised in confined areas with high population densities. Husbandry of this type may lead to severe disease problems and costly epizootics.

Disease has always been a problem, and the literature surrounding the area is plentiful. The foundation of our knowledge concerning these diseases was laid by investigators from many different scientific fields: fishery biology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and idithyology. The foundation is a firm one, and much is owed to the early and contemporary work of these scientists.

One notes, however, a startling absence of medically trained individuals among the ranks of those concerned with fish health. In fact, the contribution from members of the medical field has been minimal. The major responsibility for the health and welfare of all animals, both companion and food producing, should lie with the veterinary profession. There seems to be little question that medically trained individuals could make a major contribution towards the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of fish diseases. The veterinarian, with his knowledge of anatomical pathology, clinical pathology, and medical techniques, is in a unique position to assist the culturist. He has been trained to appreciate epizootiological problems and the relationships of large numbers of animals to their environment. The responsibility to make a contribution, however, lies with the veterinary profession. Members of the veterinary profession must recognize this responsibility and join hands with those!
of other professions who have and will continue to address themselves to fish health problems.

A major problem to culturists and other scientists concerned with fish diseases is access to the literature. Much has been written, but it is literally scattered far and wide and is often out of date or inaccessible. In addition, one of the least carefully investigated areas of fish health is therapeutics. Handbook of Drugs and Chemicals Used in the Treatment of Fish Diseases addresses itself to both problems. It brings under one cover much of the knowledge concerning drugs used to treat diseases of fish, and it does so in a logical and easily accessible manner. It is a careful work, encompassing years of painstaking research and attention to detail. Now culturists, hobbyists, and scientists alike can come to one source to gather information on piscine therapeutics. The work will serve as a reference for years to come and is in this respect a contribution of some consequence to the field of fish health.

While this book is essentially a compilation of drugs used to treat fish, it should stand as a challenge to veterinary pharmacologists and all scientists concerned with fish diseases to advance our knowledge in the field and to recognize the contributions that may be made by all, medical and nonmedical scientists alike.

R. E. Wolke, D.V.M.

The preface by the author:

THE ART AND SCIENCE of fish medicine is in the dark ages, but it does exist. From the rank amateur hobbyist who comes into the pet store and exclaims, "My fish have all died, how come?," or says, "I think my fish are sick, I need some fish medicine," to the academic expert who is the accepted authority and whose best answer is, "Try it, who knows, it might work," or "Authority No. 256 recommends it in his paper," very few really know how, why, or even if most drugs and medications work on fish. Confusing opinions are rampant. It is into this seething cauldron of confusion that I pour this effort. I know not whether it will fan the flames of controversy or quench the fires of ignorance. But I do know this: I am no authority. I have not written this book because I knew the answers, but because I didn't, and in all too many instances still do not. When I found an answer to my questions or even the remote likelihood of an answer, I wrote it down. Soon, people began coming to me for answers to their fish problems. My "answers" are the product of other authorities' answers with a smattering of my own practical experience of the past twenty-two years of fish keeping thrown in for good measure.

It must be noted that there may be some drugs that the reader feels should have been included. Their absence here does not infer their ineffectiveness, nor does the inclusion of a drug signify its endorsement. Being a compilation of my own and others' research, the reader may find discrepancies with his own evidence. If so, I welcome any comments and criticisms which will enlighten both our boundaries of knowledge.

N.H.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd (June 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039803852X
• ISBN-13: 978-0398038526
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,283,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Medical Books > Pharmacology > For Veterinarians

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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars new horizon in fish diseases, July 15, 2004

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arif (215,sh hall. Dhaka university,bqangladesh.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handbook of Drugs and Chemicals Used in the Treatment of Fish Diseases: A Manual of Fish Pharmacology and Materia Medica (Hardcover)

Disease has always been a problem, and the literature surrounding the area is plentiful. The foundation of our knowledge concerning these diseases was laid by investigators from many different scientific fields: fishery biology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and idithyology. The foundation is a firm one, and much is owed to the early and contemporary work of these scientists.A major problem to culturists and other scientists concerned with fish diseases is access to the literature. Much has been written, but it is literally scattered far and wide and is often out of date or inaccessible. In addition, one of the least carefully investigated areas of fish health is therapeutics. Handbook of Drugs and Chemicals Used in the Treatment of Fish Diseases addresses itself to both problems. It brings under one cover much of the knowledge concerning drugs used to treat diseases of fish, and it does so in a logical and easily accessible manner. It is a careful work, encompassing years of painstaking research and attention to detail. Now culturists, hobbyists, and scientists alike can come to one source to gather information on piscine therapeutics. The work will serve as a reference for years to come and is in this respect a contribution of some consequence to the field of fish health.

While this book is essentially a compilation of drugs used to treat fish, it should stand as a challenge to veterinary pharmacologists and all scientists concerned with fish diseases to advance our knowledge in the field and to recognize the contributions that may be made by all, medical and nonmedical scientists alike.