Proceedings from the International Symposium on Antibiotic Resistance 1979, the fourth volume in the series of material edited from the Smolenice symposium, is a continuation in the tradition of communicating new scientific results on a currently important and interesting problem. It concerns not only human and veterinary medicine and practice, but also such important fields of contemporary biology as molecular biology and genetics. Indeed, in both these disciplines, we have recently noted a strong and dynamic de- velopment of scientific knowledge directed toward such outgrowths of the study...

In recent period we have experienced a further rapid and explosive development of scientific knowledge concerning bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The International Con gress of Chemotherapy in London in 1975 dealed with bacterial resistance in many ses sions and lectures. We are aware of the fact that also the World Health Organisation in Brussels in 1975 discussed the problem as an integral part of long-term programme in environmental pollution control. A special significance should be ascribed to the discussions concerning the safety of DNA research which ran in several countries as...

Antibiotics are one of the greatest benefits science ever gave to mankind and one of the few things that cannot be misused against the man. Thus, the starting point of all our efforts is highly humanistic, and is expressed by cordial athmosphere in which we all work and communicate on a wide international basis. All our efforts are aimed to preserve the antibiotics as effective tools in medical treat ment, and thus we must deal with antibiotic resistance. Owing to it many antibiotics are slowly retreating from the first line of the battle between the man and pathogens. But new drugs are...

It was an extraordinary pleasure for me, as the secretary general, to organise, with my collaborators, this Second International Symposium on Antibiotic Resistance in the Castle of Smolenice in Czechoslovakia. We all appreciated many offers all participants must have spent to attend this Symposium and we were glad to do our best to prepare this meeting in a suitable and convenient way. We gathered in Smolenice Castle after the significant International Congress on Che motherapy in September 1973 in Athens. We had the chance of getting acquainted, on that world-wide forum, with the latest...