BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES 



There are, at present, no laboratories of biological chemistry in 

 the Philippines, biit there are well equipped chemical and biological 

 laboratories at the University of the Philippines in Manila, at the 

 Agricultural College in Los Baiios and at the Bureau of Science. 

 The course in biological chemistry in the College of Medicine and 

 Surgery is under the control of the Department of Chemistry in the 

 University, and the small biochemical laboratory is temporarily 

 used for pharmacy. It is planned in the near future to put the 

 biochemistry in the Department of Physiology. Research in the 

 Department of Pharmacology has been in the biochemical field, and 

 this laboratory is well equipped for the work. 



Research in the Islands is largely concerned with local and 

 tropical problems. Aron's work on Philippine rice and on beriberi, 

 and Freer's investigations of tropical sunlight are recent examples. 

 Gibbs has studied the chemistry of the mongo bean, an important 

 article of diet in the Orient. Coöperative work, by the Board for 

 the Study of Tropical Diseases of the U. S. Army and the chemists 

 in the Bureau of Science, on the protective principle in rice polish- 

 ings, may be mentioned. Andrews has reported the analyses of 

 samples of milk from native women, whose infants have died of 

 beriberi — puppies, suckled by these women, developed the disease. 

 Shaklee is at present carry ing out an extensive series of experi- 

 ments on low nutrition under tropical conditions. 



The satisfactory conditions for work, particularly the large 

 amount of available material out here, should appeal to the biolog- 

 ical chemist. The Bilibid prisoners can be used as exactly controlled 

 subjects for metabolism work; and normal fresh human organs are 

 obtainable at the not infrequent prison executions. There is an 

 abundance of autopsy material. Cases in the Philippine General 

 Hospital can be studied experimentally. Animals, such as dogs and 

 monkeys, are easily obtained. The native laboratory assistants are 

 quickly trained, and make good technicians. There is an excellent 



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