Nothing
of the sort existed. One laboratory chief would order from the corner
drug store, while another bought in Germany.
There was danger that a similar condition of things might arise in
the Philippines. The Bureau of Health would want its chemical and its
biological laboratories; the Bureau of Agriculture would need to do
chemical work covering a wide range of subjects, and botanical and
entomological work as well. The Bureau of Forestry would of course
require a large amount of botanical work, and would also need to
have chemical work done on gums, resins and other forest products,
to say nothing of investigating insects injurious to trees and more
especially to timber after cutting. The latter class of destroyers
do enormous damage in the Philippines. Much chemical work would
be required by the Bureau of Customs, which as a matter of fact
later insisted upon the necessity of a "microscopical laboratory"
to provide facilities for the examination of fibres, etc. Obviously
there would be a large amount of work for the general government in
connection with investigation of the mineral resources of the country,
and the testing of coals, cements and road materials.
Smallpox was decimating the population. There was need of the
manufacture of great quantities of virus with which to combat it,
and of other common and necessary serums and prophylactics as well.
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