440 Biochemical News, Notes and Comment [June-September 



BlOCHEM. WORK IN THE BUREAU OF SciENCE, PhILIPPINE 



Islands. In response to our request for a statement of the nature 

 of the biochem. work done, or in progress, under the auspices of the 

 Philippine Bur. of Science, we have received the foUowing from 

 Acting-Direc, Dr. J. A. Johnston, dated. Mar. 3, 1915 : The Bureau 

 of Science has no regulär staff devoted to biochem. work and has 

 carried on no work dealing strictly with the ehem. of life processes. 

 A few practical problems have involved studies more or less border- 

 ing on the biochemical. Of such might be mentioned the investiga- 

 tion of the enzymes of the nipa palm, the constituents of certain 

 foods, active principles of medicinal plants, the etiology of beriberi, 

 the treatment of leprosy, and the relation of soil moisture and en- 

 vironmental conditions to plant growth. All of these are of inci- 

 dental interest to biochemistry. Many problems still to be attacked 

 seem to offer attractive opportunities to physiol. and pathol. chemists. 



A PHARMACEUTic EXPER. STATION. " During reccut years the 

 number of med. schools which have been provided with facilities for 

 research, through state grants or by private endowments, has rapidly 

 increased. While much is still to be hoped for, the outlook for med. 

 advance is far brighter in this respect than it is in the related brauch, 

 pharmacy. Pharm, schools, whether privately owned or controlled 

 by the State, are almost without exception devoted to the routine 

 Instruction of students and are, as a rule, doing nothing toward the 

 advance of pharmacy as a science. A notable exception to this back- 

 ward condition of pharmac. education was the establishment of a 

 pharmac. exper. sta'n by the Wis. Legislature, in 19 13. The Statute 

 creating the exper. sta'n provides that it further the cultivation and 

 investigation of medic. plants. In the first annual report of the direc. 

 of the sta'n,^ Edward Kremers, a well-known authority and author 

 on plant chemistry, gives an indication of what may be expected 

 from this pioneer work. The sta'n not only is engaged in the exper. 

 cultivation of medic. plants, but also cooperates with the gov't in this 

 field, and offers its help and advice to those who wish to engage in 

 this relatively new Amer. industry. While drug-plant cultiv, is to 

 be a prominent feature of the sta'n's scope, the work planned by the 



3 Report of the Direc. of the Pharmac. Exper. Sta'n, Bull. 542, Univ. Wis., 

 Dec, 1914. 



