Oct. 1,1921 Biological Analysis of Georgia Velvet Bean j 



days when the diet was composed solely of the seed. On diets com- 

 posed of 80 per cent velvet bean with 20 per cent dextrin, and 60 per 

 cent velvet bean with 40 per cent dextrin, eight animals, having an 

 initial weight of 50 to 60 gm., maintained their weight for a period of eight 

 weeks but made no growth. Likewise, when the velvet bean formed 

 60 to 40 per cent of the ration, respectively, as a source of protein, in 

 the presence of all the other dietary factors, no growth resulted, but 

 all the animals maintained their body weight for a period of six weeks, 

 indicating that the proteins in the seed are deficient. 



Since these experiments lasted for periods ranging from six to eight 

 weeks only, no charts were prepared illustrating the points mentioned. 

 All the rest of our findings are illustrated in figures i to 15. 



When velvet beans formed 80 per cent as the source of protein in the 

 ration (fig. i), very little growth resulted. Altliough at point xg per 

 cent of the beans was replaced by 9 per cent casein, no appreciable 

 change in the character of growth ensued, lack of response to the addi- 

 tion of purified casein being due, as it will be noted from the following 

 graphs, to the injurious effect of this high plane of velvet bean intake. 



Velvet beans fed at a 60 per cent level as a source of protein, supple- 

 mented with 5 per cent casein, produced a fair amount of growth (fig. 2). 



When, however, 40 per cent velvet beans was the source of protein 

 and the ration was further fortified with 9 per cent casein, the two 

 females made normal growth for a period of four months and the two 

 males grew at a rate even beyond the expectation curve (fig. 3). Rat 

 211 was unable to rear her young, although her litter was reduced from 

 nine to four. 



Figure 4 shows that young animals are unable to make any growth 

 on a ration composed of 80 per cent velvet beans as the source of salts. 



When 40 per cent velvet beans served as the source of salts, some 

 little growth occurred during the first 10 weeks (fig. 5). It is evident, 

 then, that at least part of the failure of lot 61 (fig. 4) must be ascribed 

 to the harmful effect of the higher plane of velvet bean intake. A striking 

 change in the character of growth is apparent when at point x 4 per 

 cent of dextrin was replaced by 4 per cent of salt mixture No. 32.^ 



When I per cent sodium chlorid (NaCl) and 1.5 per cent calcium 

 carbonate (CaCOg) replaced salt mixture No. 32 in the ration, very 

 good growth was obtained for a period of three months (fig. 6) , indicating 

 that the calcium, sodium, and chlorid ions furnish the necessary mineral 

 supplements in the velvet bean seed. 



Figure 7 shows that when 1.5 per cent calcium carbonate alone replaces 

 salt mixture No. 32 only a little growth results. 



* Steenbock, H., and Gross, E. G. pat soLUBtE vitamine. n. the fat-soi,ubi,e vitamine con- 

 tent OP ROOTS together with some observations on their "WATER-SOtUBLB VITAMINE CONTENT. In 

 Jour. Biol. Chem., v. 40, no. 2, p. 505. 1919. 



