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In performing much of the physiological work, I have had the coopera- 
tion of Dr. R. P. Strong, chief of the Biological Laboratory, and of 
Drs. Marshall and Edwards, of the Biological Laboratory, to whom I 
desire to express my thanks for indispensible assistance. Mr. E. D. 
Merrill, botanist of this Bureau, has made the identifications of the 
plants studied, and has assisted in collecting them, and to him, also, my 
thanks are due. 
In choosing the plants for the work in hand, I have made free use of 
Dr. Tavera’s book ? “Medicinal Plants of the Philippines.” I have also 
talked with both educated and uneducated natives and with many native 
doctors, in order to ascertain what plants are commonly used in practice 
and have consulted European physicians who have practiced in the 
Philippines for many years. 
I have been told of plants with marvelous properties, which quickly 
effect wonderful cures of diseases such as are usually believed to be 
incurable. Educated physicians practicing in the Islands tell me that 
such rumors are common, but that they have never seen the cures or been 
able to repeat the uneducated physician’s results by using his infallible 
remedy, although they have had opportunities to study the native healer 
at close range. Thus, many cases of sarcoma were cited where the 
primitive doctor told of wonderful cures with his plants from the forest, 
and promised great things, but either would not or could not accomplish 
anything before the well-informed practitioner. It is difficult to obtain 
data as to the nature of a medicinal plant not only because of the very 
inaccurate observations on the part of the natives but also because of a 
very prevalent habit of concocting a medicine with many drugs, which 
renders the study infinitely complicated. The theory is that if one drug 
is good, a great many are better. 1 have had oceasion to analyze 
medicines in this laboratory which were ascertained to contain no less 
than thirty substances which are known to be physiologically active. 
With such a confused state of knowledge in such a large field, it was 
considered advisable to make a preliminary examination of many drugs, 
to be followed later by a more detailed examination of such as seemed 
to warrant it. 
Other plants which contain interesting substances, such as arrow 
poisons, fish poisons, dyestuffs, etc., have been included in the scope of 
the work. The results thus far obtained are recorded below. 
Tue BarK or ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS R. Br.’ (Apocynacea). 
The large tree, Alstonia scholaris, is found in tropical Asia, Malaya, 
and northern Australia. It is widely distributed and very abundant in 
the Philippines. The native name of the plant is “dita,” or “ditad.” 
Dita bark is regarded all over the Islands to be a remedy for fevers and 
‘Translated by J. B. Thomas (1901). 
2 Mem. Wern. NSoc., 1, 75; Hook f. Fl. Brit. Ind., 3, 642. 
