The complete initial lack of adequate hospital facilities and of means for making chemical and bacteriological investigations had been promptly remedied by the establishment of army hospitals and an army laboratory.  Although these could not be placed fully at the service of the public, they nevertheless bridged the gap for the time being, and in formulating laws and making plans for the future I was inclined to say, “Blessed be nothing,” as we were not hampered by useless employees or archaic equipment, but were left free to make a clean start.

I had thoroughly learned one lesson at the University of Michigan while a member of its zooelogical staff.  We had a zooelogical laboratory in which were conducted the zooelogical half of a course in general biology and numerous other courses in animal morphology, mammalian anatomy, comparative anatomy and embryology.  There was also a botanical laboratory in which all of the botanical work of the institution was carried on.  This did not involve any overlapping, but there was overlapping of the work of the zooelogical laboratory and that of the medical department, which had an anatomical laboratory, a histological laboratory, a pathological laboratory and a so-called hygienic laboratory.  The professor of anatomy thought that his students would understand human anatomy better if they knew something of comparative anatomy, and instead of sending them to us wished to start his own courses.  The histologist dabbled in embryology and was soon duplicating our course in the embryology of the chick.  He was constantly at war with the pathologist over the question of where histology left off and pathology began, and both of them were inclined to differ with the man in charge of the hygienic laboratory over similar questions of jurisdiction.  Furthermore, we had a chemical laboratory split up into various more or less independent subdivisions, and a psychological laboratory.  In these several institutions for scientific research there was much duplication of instruction and of books, apparatus and laboratory equipment.  Great economies might have been effected by the establishment of a central purchasing agency, which could have obtained wholesale rates on supplies ordered in large quantity.  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