56 THE BUREAU OP SCIENCE 



entomological collection. While the new quarters are very 

 cramped, very inconvenient, and necessitate the arrangement 

 of the cases in tiers of three rather than in tiers of two, the 

 inconveniences are to a degree offset by the knowledge that the 

 large and valuable collection is now reasonably safe from destruc- 

 tion by accidental fire. It is to be hoped, however, that more 

 adequate and better-arranged quarters can be provided in the 

 near future, for now all work of consulting the herbarium is 

 done with a very great loss of time and energy. Moreover the 

 work is badly scattered. The herbarium occupies three rooms 

 in the east wing, the mycologist is in a distant room in the main 

 building, the physiologist is in still another isolated and distant 

 room on the ground floor of the main building, while the botanical 

 workroom is also distant from the herbarium near the physiolo- 

 gist's office. 



Ever since the Bureau was organized, considerable attention 

 has been given to the study of medicinal plants. Many data 

 have been accumulated, and we now definitely know a large 

 percentage of the plants actually used by the Filipinos in the 

 practice of medicine. The commercial medicinal plants of the 

 Philippines are few, but those utilized by the Filipinos total 

 several hundred species. Very many of these have never been 

 critically studied by chemists, pharmacists, and physicians, and 

 it is probable that some of our numerous plants, on investi- 

 gation, will prove to have distinct curative values. It is hoped 

 that during the coming year we may be able to undertake 

 a comprehensive survey of the medicinal plants of the Archi- 

 pelago. The matter of classification will be simple, but the 

 whole question is exceedingly complex and will involve coopera- 

 tion of botanists, pharmacists, chemists, and physicians. It is 

 believed that such cooperative work can be arranged, but pri- 

 marily the inception of the work involves the addition of another 

 member to the botanical staff whose major work shall be the 

 general direction of the medicinal-plant survey. 



Year by year I have pointed out the desirability of commencing 

 a comprehensive, systematic enumeration of Philippine plants. 

 The Philippines has a Flora de Filipinas, published in 1837, but 

 the work is absolutely inadequate; even when published, it 

 was obsolete in arrangement. Systematic botany is carried on 

 by every government as a matter of pride and as a necessary 

 part of its scientific work. What some other countries have 

 done in the way of floras may be judged by the following: 



