The First International Symposium and Pakistan-U.S. Binational Workshop on Natural Product Chemistry represents the first international conference ever to be organised in Pakistan on chemistry. For many years I had aspired to organise such a con- ference, and finally when it materialised in February 1984, it brought together the very best in the field. The result was as expected - a most stimulating series of lectures and discussions, all of which were recorded on videotape for circulation to uni- versities and research organisations in Pakistan. The fields covered during the Symposium...

Natural product chemistry has undergone an explosive growth during the latter half of the current century. This has been brought about by a number of factors. One of these has been the growing number of sub stances from natural sources which display interesting pharmacological activities. These include antibiotics, anti-tumor agents, immunostimu lants, drugs affecting the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, analgesics etc. Another factor has been the improvements made in the technology of isolation processes which includes the development of such techniques as high pressure liquid...

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is presently going through an explosive phase of development. This has been brought about largely on account of the advent of Fourier transform NMR spectrometers linked to powerful microcomputers which have opened up a whole new world for structural chemists and biochemists. This is exemplified by a host of publications, especially on new pulse sequences, which continue to provide new exciting modifications for recording two-dimensional NMR. Moreover, NMR is no longer confined to structural chemists but has moved firmly into the area of medicine as a...