Few pathologie phenomena, as shock, can originate from so many causes and involve so many complex physiologie mechanisms: The complexity of the phenomenon, thus, has resulted in extensive study and raised many uncertainties. Different conditions, such as hemorrhage, trauma, burns, bacterial infection, and anaphylaxis, can cause a shock state which initiates a chain of biochemical events that tends to maintain the shock. Recent progress in bio chemistry, physiology, and pharmacology has tended to clarify this chain of events, and elucidate the possible trigger mechanism. Besides the hormonal and catecholamine involvement, the possible intervention of various protease and lysosomal enzyme septems and kinin release introduces new elements into the characteristic mosaic of the shock state. This International Symposium, organized at Lake Corno by the Italian Society of Clinical Pharmacology and the International Society of Biochemical Pharmacology, is another in aseries of symposia under the joint auspices of the School of Pharmacy, State University of New York at Buffalo, and the Institute of Pharma cology, University of Milan, Italy. The Symposium has gathered together eminent scientists from such varied disciplines as surgery and pharmacology, internal medicine and biochemistry, physiology and pathology, all focusing on the question of shock. The many researchers in these specialities had the possibility of meeting and discussing together in a multidisciplinary fashion the many theories and experiences associated with this problem.

Inhalt
Section 1: Pathogenesis of Shock.- Effects of Hemorrhagic and Catecholamine Shock on Canine Forelimb Transcapillary Fluid Fluxes and Segmental Vascular Resistances.- Renal Failure in Hemorrhagic Shock.- A Consideration of the Role of the Reticuloendothelial System (RES) in Endotoxin Shock.- Behaviour of Histidine Decarboxylase (HDC) in Various Forms of Shock.- Extrinsic Versus Intrinsic, Coagulation-Fibrinolysis: in the Pathophysiology of Shock and Exsanguinating Diatheses.- Complement and Shock.- The Role of Splancnic Adrenergic Vasoconstriction in the Development of Irreversibility of Hemorrhagic Shock.- Circulatory Function in the Early Postoperative Period After Pulmonary Surgery.- Proposed Mechanisms for the Ameliorative Effects of Corticosteroids in Shock.- Section 2: Biochemical Pathology of Shock.- Participation of the Kinin-System in Different Kinds of Shock.- The Generation of Kinins in the Circulation of the Dog During Hypotension Due to Blood Loss.- Pathophysiologic Mechanisms in Endotoxin Shock and Its Therapeutic Approaches.- Several Pharmacologic and Biochemical Aspects of Cysteamine- and Cystamine-Induced Shock.- Effect of Varying Blood Sugar Level in Anaphylactic Shock.- Section 3: Pharmacology of Shock.- The Influence of Blood pH on Peripheral Vascular Tone: Possible Role of Proteases and Vaso-Active Polypeptides.- The Influence of Some Enzymes and Enzyme Inhibitors in Shock.- Pharmacologic Agents in Shock.- The Reticulo-Endothelial System (R.E.S.) in Traumatic Shock.- Section 4: Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects of Shock.- Problems of Clinical Research in Shock.- The Recognition and Therapy of Patho-Physiologic Patterns in Human Shock.- The Effect of Trasylol in Shock.- Treatment of Acute Renal Failure and Chronic Renal Insufficiency with Additional Trasylol Therapy.- The Treatment of Orthostatic Shock.- The Treatment of Shock with Beta Adrenergic Blockade.- Shock in Acute Pancreatitis.- Kinins in the Pathogenesis of Cardiogenic Shock and Pain.- Diagnosis and Treatment of Shock in Internal Medicine.- Poly-N5-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-L-Glutamine A New Plasma Expander.