New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 169 



It is our purpose to carry out a series of experiments to determine 

 the toxicity of the acid from cottonseed meal in comparison with 

 phytic acid. 



EXPERIMENTAL. 



The cottonseed meal used in these experiments was obtained from 

 the stock used as cattle feed at this station. For the first prepara- 

 tion 4500 grams of meal were digested in 10 liters of 0.2 per ct. 

 hydrochloric acid over night. It was then pressed through cheese- 

 cloth and the extract filtered through a layer of clean sand. The 

 extract was a thick, mucilaginous, very dirty-colored liquid which 

 could not be filtered through paper. It measured about 5 liters. 

 It was mixed with about 8 liters of alcohol which produced a very 

 fine and voluminous dirty precipitate. After settling over night the 

 supernatant liquid was syphoned off and the residue centrifuged. 

 The precepitate was then digested in a considerable quantity of 

 0.5 per ct. hydrochloric acid and the insoluble portion removed by 

 centrifuging and the solution precipitated with excess of barium 

 hydroxide. The mixture was heated nearly to boiling and then 

 allowed to cool and settle. It was again centrifuged and the residue 

 treated with 0.5 per ct. hydrochloric acid in which it was readily 

 soluble. After a few minutes, however, it began to separate as a 

 fine crystalline precipitate. The mixture was then filtered and the 

 above precipitate reserved for special examination. 



The filtrate was precipitated by the addition of alcohol, filtered, 

 and again treated with 0.5 per ct. hydrochloric acid, filtered from 

 insoluble matter and the filtrate again precipitated by alcohol. It 

 was filtered and washed in dilute alcohol and then dissolved in 0.5 

 per ct. hydrochloric acid; heated nearly to boiling and filtered. 

 The filtrate was now nearly colorless and it was slightly opalescent 

 in appearance. After again precipitating the hydrochloric acid 

 solution with alcohol the substance was obtained as a white 

 amorphous powder. It was very soluble in 0.5 per ct. hydrochloric 

 acid but the solution had a thick, mucilaginous and slightly opal- 

 escent appearance. This solution was now precipitated with excess 

 of barium hydroxide when a voluminous, tenacious, ropy precipitate 

 was obtained. The mixture was thoroughly shaken for some time 

 and then filtered and washed in water. The washed residue was 

 dissolved in 0.5 per ct. hydrochloric acid and precipitated with 

 alcohol. After repeating this operation the substance was filtered, 

 washed free of chlorides with dilute alcohol and finally washed in 

 alcohol and ether and dried in vacuum over sulphuric acid. The 

 product was then a snow-white amorphous powder and it weighed 

 10.2 grams. 



It was but slightly soluble in boiling water. With phloroglucine 

 and hydrochloric acid it gives a light red color which soon changes 

 to a reddish-brown. With orcine it gives at first a reddish color 

 which soon fades leaving a dirty-colored precipitate. After boiling 



