FINAL ACT OF SECOND PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 127 



ARTICLE 38. The Second Pan American Scientific Congress suggests 



that 



It is desirable to establish institutions for the study of drugs and 

 other economic plants at their place of origin. 



It will be noted that the recommendation, if such it can properly be 

 called, is very tentative and of a general nature, for the Congress does not 

 recommend that institutions be established for the study of drugs and 

 other economic plants at the place of their origin. It contents itself 

 with mentioning the desirability of such institutions. The article in ques- 

 tion seems to owe its origin to the fact that such laboratories have been 

 established in other portions of the world with resultant benefits, and it 

 seems fair to presume that they would render like benefits to commerce 

 in the matter of food and drugs if established in the American Republics. 

 Couched as it is in such general form, the article does not suggest a duty, 

 but the expression that it is desirable will doubtless cause it to be con- 

 sidered, with the result that the experiment may be tried, and if success- 

 ful it will undoubtedly lead to the establishment of similar institutions 

 in the countries generally. 



Before leaving the resolutions drafted by the Seventh Section, and 

 which were approved by the Congress, and passing to the labors of 

 Section VIII, dealing with Public Health and Medical Science, it is 

 proper to mention that the Seventh Section also devoted attention to 

 standard methods of sampling and testing, both chemical and physical, 

 and came to the conclusion that on account of the lack of uniformity 

 therein it was highly desirable to take steps to devise more uniform and 

 standard methods and to secure their introduction in practice. The 

 Section on Chemical and Physical Sciences of the First Pan American 

 Scientific Congress adopted the following article as its Fifteenth Con- 

 clusion or resolution : 



The Fourth Scientific Congress (First Pan American) in order to give 

 effect to the conclusions numbered 7, 8, 13, and 14, and eventually to any 

 other conclusion of the Second Section (of Physical and Chemical Sciences), 

 nominates the following committee : ARTURO E. SALAZAR, CARLOS MALSCH, 

 FRANCISCO SERRATO, Luis E. MOURGUES, PABLO MARTENS, BEUSARIO 

 DIAZ OSSA, and Jos Ducci KALLENS. 



It shall be the duty of this committee to promote the appointment of 

 similar ones in the other countries of America, having recourse for this end 

 to the institutions and delegates represented in this Congress. It shall be 

 its further duty to report to the proper section of the Congress at Washington 

 in 1912, 1 where a committee shall be named to supplant it. 



1 This Congress convened Dec. 27, 1915. 



