Oct. 1,1921 Biological Analysis of Georgia Velvet Bean 



13 



that given to lot 53 (fig. 3) with the exception that lot 86 received the 

 beans raw while lot 53 received the beans cooked. The striking dif- 

 ference in the character of growth obtained in these two experiments 

 must be attributed to the fact that the velevt bean seed uncooked is 

 either toxic or indigestible at a concentration as low as 40 per cent. The 



/20 

 /OO 



80 



60 



^O 



Fig. 13. — Gain in weight of lot 62 on ration of velvet beans, 80 per cent; butter fat, s per cent; No. 32 

 salts, 4 per cent; casein, s per cent; and dextrin, 6 per cent. D indicates point at which rat died. 



cause of the deleterious effect of the raw seed is being studied and will 

 be reported later. 



DISCUSSION 



The Georgia velvet bean, Early Speckled variety, has been found to 

 be injurious when fed in the raw condition at as low a level as 40 per cent 

 intake. This has been evidenced from an experiment where 40 per cent 



Fig. 14. — Gain in weight of lot 74 on ration of velvet beans, 60 per cent; butter fat, 5 per cent; No. 32 

 salts, 4 per cent; casein, 5 per cent; and dextrin, 26 per cent. At point x 4 per cent dextrin was replaced 

 by 4 per cent additional casein. 



velvet beans uncooked formed the source of water-soluble vitamin 

 (fig. 15). Growth was inhibited during the first six weeks of experi- 

 mentation, after which time lo per cent dextrin was replaced by an 

 alcoholic extract of lo gm. ether- extracted wheat embryo. This addi- 

 tion of the water-soluble vitamin should have rendered the ration entirely 

 satisfactory, judging by the character of growth obtained in a duplicate 

 experiment where the beans were furnished cooked (fig. 3). 



