28 THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



tions. In addition to the regular requested examinations the 

 chemists carry on as many investigations of industrial subjects 

 as time will permit. I have frequently pointed out the impor- 

 tance of determining the most efficient methods for treating 

 certain commodities, discovering uses for hitherto unknown, and 

 new uses for already useful, materials, etc. The following are 

 some of the investigations that have contributed and are con- 

 tributing to these ends : 



The properties and some of the uses of oils produced from 

 lumbang, kapoc, cashew, castor bean, tree cotton seed, physic 

 nut, pili, calumpang, and cato have been determined. The drying 

 qualities of the lumbang oils have been examined. Further uses 

 for some of these oils and their properties when hardened by 

 reduction with hydrogen are now being investigated. Chaul- 

 moogra oil and its administration in the treatment of leprosy is 

 being cooperatively studied by the organic chemists and the 

 biological experts of the Bureau of Science. In attempts to 

 treat leprosy, great variation was found in the efficiency of 

 various purchases of chaulmoogra oil and in the degree of toler- 

 ance that patients exhibited toward different shipments. Fre- 

 quently a crude oil appeared to have greater curative properties 

 than a pure oil. Commercial chaulmoogra oil is not obtained 

 from a single species of tree, but from representatives of several 

 closely allied genera of the Flacourtiacese. In view of these 

 facts I thought there might be an active principle in chaulmoogra 

 oil or that one member of this family might be wholly responsible 

 for the curative properties and assigned men to the experimental 

 work. It is interesting to note that the Philippine Islands pos- 

 sess several representatives of the Flacourtiacese : for example, 

 Pangium ediile Reinwardt and Hijdnocarpus alcalx C. de Can- 

 dolle. In order to get accurate information and to solve some 

 of the intricate questions involved, a few of the commercial oils 

 have been studied, the study of the product of the former 

 tree is now under way, and one of the latter will be undertaken 

 as soon as material can be secured. 



A complete survey of the medicinal plants of the Islands, to- 

 gether with an investigation of the chemical and physiological 

 properties of their constituents, should be carried on by organic 

 chemists and botanists in cooperation, and I hope to arrange 

 for this work very soon. 



Many oils available for the perfume industry have received 

 attention. This work has resulted in the improvement of some 

 of the old methods, making possible a better grade of ylang-ylang 

 oil and the production of champaca, the finest perfume of the 



