Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1978

• Consultation Meeting • A Consultation Meeting on Medicinal Plant Research in Southeast Asia, co-sponsored by UNESCO Regional Network for Chemistry of Natural Products, the Insti tute of Advanced Research in Asian Science and Medicine, U.S.A., and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, was held at the University from 19th to 22nd April, 1978. The Meeting was aimed at formu lating regional cooperative research programmes on medicinal plant research in Southeast Asia through the establishment of a liaison centre. Over 40 scientists attended the Meeting in cluding UNESCO-sponsored “country representatives" from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. Speaking at the Opening Ceremony were Dr. Choh-Ming Li, Vice- ChanceUor, Mr. G. J. Bell, Chairman of the Committee for Scientific Co-ordination in Hong Kong; Dr. E. J. Da Silva of UNESCO; and Dr. H. M. Chang, Head of the Chemistry Department of The Chinese University, who gave the introductory remark as Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee. Dr. Chang pointed out that it is now felt Western medicine alone cannot meet the health care needs of all the people in the world, and that institutions such as the World Health Organization have recognized that better utilization of traditional medicine and medicinal herbs must be encouraged. “Much research to evaluate the efficacy of many commonly used medicinal herbs is still waiting to be done," he said. "If a small fraction of the huge sum ofmoney pumped into Western medical research is given to the research on traditional herbs, significant break-throughs in this field can be made." Dr. Chang said that recent advances in biochemistry, instrumentation and other fields of knowledge have given the scientists powerful tools of investigation undreamed of 25 years ago. Special lectures were delivered by three world- renowned authorities on medicinal plants: "Botanical Studies in Medicinal Plant Research in Southeast Asia" by Dr. S. Y. Hu of Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University and of The Chinese University of Hong Kong "Chemistry of Chinese Drugs" by Professor S. Shibata of Meiji College of Pharmacy, Japan "Perspectives in Medicinal Plants: A Personal View" by Professor Frederick F. Kao of the State University of New York and of the Insti tute of Advanced Research in Asian Science and Medicine, U.S.A. It was resolved at the Consultation Meeting that the Liaison Centre on Medicinal Plant Research is to be established in Hong Kong within the framework of Southeast Asian Regional Network for Chemistry of Natural Products, UNESCO for the purpose of: (a) the compilation of ethnomedical informa tion; (b) the selection of potential plant candidates (from the Asian flora) for laboratory inves tigations; and (c) the promotion of medicinal plant research 8 Medicinal Plant Research in Southeast Asia