76 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



studies in cotton-seed meal intoxication. — I, As to pyrophosphoric acid, 

 W. A. Withers, B. J. Ray, et al. {North Carolina Sta. Rpt. 1912, pp. Ul-145; 

 Jour. Biol. Chcm.. 77/ {1913), No. 2, pp. 53-.58).— Feeding: through a catheter 

 the concentrated filtrate from raw cotton-seed meal, digested 1 day each with 

 pepsin and pancreatin, was found to be generally toxic to rabbits. The amount 

 fed, however, corresponded to from 15 to 20 times the amount of meal usually 

 taken by these animals. Feeding an amount of pyrophosphoric acid, correspond- 

 ing to the amount of phosphorus (calculated as P2O5) present in the cotton-seed 

 meal extract, was also toxic. 



" The pepsin-pancreatic residue is more toxic than the aqueous or pepsin- 

 pancreatic extracts of the meal ; in fact, it is the only one of the 3 fractions 

 which is toxic under the conditions of the feeding. 



A fraction of cotton-seed meal containing a nontoxic amount of pyrophos- 

 phoric acid may be toxic. The results indicate tliat pyrophosphoric acid is 

 not the cause of toxicity of cotton-seed meal. 



Feeding- and toxicity of cotton-seed meal, R. S. Curtis {North Carolina 

 Sta. Rpt. 1912, pp. I.'t6-l-'i9) . — While cotton-seed meal when fed by an ex- 

 perienced stockman can be used with some profit, the author does not advocate 

 its use by the average farmer as a feed for pigs. Swine fed on cotton-seed 

 meal may thrive for a time, but later on an imperceptible reaction may take 

 jilace, which puts the animals below par. While the animals are gaining in 

 weiglit there does not seem to be any reason to anticipate a dangerous condi- 

 tion, but as many farmers do not possess scales, no method is at hand for 

 ascertaining whether the animals are doing well or not. Premonitory symptoms 

 of cotton-seed meal poisoning are not always marked. Much seems to depend 

 upon how the cotton-seed meal from Sea Island seed is fed. and the method 

 of manufacturing the meal also has some effect upon the toxicity. This has 

 been shown by Crawford (E. S. R., 22, p. 502). 



In a test of these points, 2 hogs were fed a ration of Sea Island cotton-seed 

 meal from May 1, 1911. until November 24 without apparent ill effects. In 

 taking the final weights, however, an attempt was made to drive the pigs 

 from the small lot wherein they had been fed, when it was noticed that the 

 exercise necessitated began to have a marked effect on the equilibrium of the 

 body. " The hogs were finally driven from the smaller lot into a larger one 

 where the increased exercise had a still greater effect on the stability of the 

 body movements. One hog finally reached the scale chute, and just upon enter- 

 ing los' complete control of the body, fell on the side with an intense rigidity 

 of the body, accompanied by a mu.scular quivering and jerking motion of the 

 body parts. After a few long gasps for breath, life became entirely extinct. 

 The ori^nal weight of this pig was 105 lbs., final weight 95 lbs., a loss of 10 

 lbs., although this condition of the animal would not have been suspected on 

 casual examination. Following this most striking death the second pig was 

 driven on the scales and within a few minutes the same condition became 

 apparent as in the former one. The hog was weighed, driven part way down 

 the scale chute when he also lost body control, and within 3 to 4 minutes 

 died in the same manner as the former animal had done. The original weight 

 of this pig was 115 lbs., final weight 145 lbs., showing a gain of 30 lbs. in the 

 20s days' feeding period, which should have been ample for a 200-lb. gain under 

 normal conditions of feed and management." 



A third hog, previously fed with Upland cotton-^eed meal, was treated in 

 the same manner described above, and when given some exercise, it became 

 totally blind for a time, and lost entire control of the body. The animal died 



