BOOK REVIEW 63 over one hundred. This reflects the widespread apathy among the literate public towards social issues. This is also partly attributable to the awe and undue reverence accorded to the medical profession, despite all Illichian attempts at demystification. The book is divided into six parts dealing with drug needs of the country, irrational and hazardous drugs, pricing policy and marketing procedures, and diug legislation in India. The sixth pan is a compilation of the views of the various participating organisations. The paper by J. S. Majumdar gives an overview of the issues involved. The information presented in most of the papers is well-researched and painstakingly gathered. It is important to remember that many of the facts and figures provided here are not published in academic journals and cannot be extracted from the industry. A large number of pharmaceutical products marketed in India do not cater to the needs of the people. A majority of [he population sutlers froAl infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies. Drugs needed for treatment of infectious diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis and malaria aie always in short supply (p. 62) ; moreover, those extensively marketed for this purpose are the more expensive ones. Formulations, misguidedly labelled 'tonics' (many of which maybe be better named as 'vitamin-laced alcoholic drinks') contain unnecessary nutrients or exessive dosages of vitamins. It is well established that these are of no help to a person who djes not get enough food to meet her or his daily energy requirements. On the other hand, the well-nourished (an expensive bottle of vitamins capsules is a must on their dining tables !) do not need them at all. Yet, vitamins and 'tonics' are so frequently prescribed that their sale accounts for 16 percent of the total drug market in India (p. 220). Considering that more than 90 per cent of human ailments can be catered to by a limited number of drugs, a WHO Expert Committee recommended a general list of 250 drugs which are really needed (the complete list is provided on pp. 310-327). Taking the country's needs into account, the Hathi Committee in 1978 recommended a little over 100 drugs as essential for India (p. 26). The government has made no efforts at enforcing the exclusive use of such drugs even on the public health front (p. 69). On the other hand, a small country like Bangladesh with a zealous protagonist like Zafrullah Chowdhary and a determined will, having implemented such a policy succesfully, has managed to bring down the prices of ceitain drugs (p. 76). Needless to say, the concept of essential drug implies the presence of non-essential drugs in the market. The Indian market is not only inundated with these, but also with irrational combination drugs, as well as with drugs positively harmful to human health (p. 87-122). Drugs banned in many countries are freely prescribed and are equally freely available over the counter, , in this country. The 'headache drug', analgin, a common household name sold under such names as novalgin, baralgan, spasmizol, pitragi^i (the list is endless!) is one such hazardous drug. There are many