INTRODUCTION. 13 



that in any event a considerable separation of the men would be 

 necessary. At most no more than four workers in the same line 

 would presumably need space at the same time, and as all labora- 

 tories would be in one building, the freedom of contact and oppor- 

 tunity for discussion would not materially be curtailed, although 

 each class of work could be completely separated from all others. 

 These arguments were so strongly in favor of smaller and numerous 

 rooms that the main structure was planned accordingly. The deci- 

 sion to place all the laboratories in one building was made in order to 

 secure compactness, ease of administration, and to foster in the 

 highest degree the personal contact of the scientific workers in the 

 laboratory. While there may be some argument in favor of separat- 

 ing biological and chemical laboratories, nevertheless, by properly 

 planning the building the work can be divided in different wings, 

 and by supplying adequate hoods and drafts it is certain that all 

 classes of work can be placed under one roof without the one inter- 

 fering with the other. 



As the building was to be in the Tropics, it was necessary to pay 

 great attention to ventilation and coolness, so that in the main 

 structure the rooms were grouped on either side of a large main 

 corridor 10 feet wide and running the entire length of the building. 

 As this hallway is open at either end, a breeze is almost continually 

 passing through 'it, generally supplying a suction as it passes the 

 doors of the individual laboratories so that a constant circulation 

 of air is produced. The building was designed to be of no more 

 than two stories, both because of the fact that the Philippine Islands 

 are subject to earthquakes and also because previous experience has 

 demonstrated that unless great care is taken the laboratories on 

 the top floor, if leakage or breakage of containers of liquids should 

 occur, are apt to interfere with the work below. This danger is 

 minimized in a two-story structure. 



When the work of preparing the plans was first undertaken it 

 was decided to be expedient and necessary to install a power plant 

 of a capacity to provide all of the rooms with vacuum, air pressure, 

 and steam, and as up to the present time the alternating current 

 furnished by the Manila electric-light works has been unsatisfac- 

 tory for laboratory purposes, it was also planned to give sufficient 

 power to light all the laboratory buildings. While the discussion 

 was being carried on in regard to the amount of power necessary, 



