July 23. 191 7 Effect on Growth and Reproduction of Rations 197 



successful in the first gestation period, it failed in the second, owing 

 to the cumulative effect of the wheat toxicity. 



By the use of alfalfa hay to take the place of one-half of the wheat 

 straw, results similar to those with com stover were secured. Growth 

 was splendid, reproduction normal in the first gestation period, but 

 weakness appeared in the second gestation. The alfalfa and corn stover 

 introduced a better salt mixture, a little different protein mixture, and 

 probably a more plentiful supply of growth-promoting substances, all 

 of which, according to our hypothesis, would either individually or 

 collectively improve the ration, but not necessarily make it perfect. 

 It might still fail if the mass of toxicity was too large. 



Baking the wheat grain did not improve it. 



The particular effect of these all-wheat-grain rations was to cause 

 marked histological changes in the nervous tissue of the offspring. The 

 motor cells partly degenerated and the spinal cord showed more or less 

 edematous condition. This was analogous to our observations on swine 

 with wheat-grain feeding. On wheat-grain and wheat-straw rations 

 growing heifers also showed symptoms of nerve degeneration, as evi- 

 denced by blindness and great excitability. The causes of the disturb- 

 ance were due to the inherent toxicity of the wheat grain and not to 

 "deficiencies of vitamines." 



Com grain plus wheat straw allowed sustained growth, but at a slow 

 rate. The offspring were weak or dead. Additions of salt to this ration 

 made it normal, indicating that this was the only factor needed for 

 perfect nutrition with this ration. 



A physiologically complete ration such as the corn-grain and corn- 

 stover mixture could not be disturbed, at least in a single gestation, by 

 altering the calcium-magnesium ratio through the addition of magnesium 

 salts. Even the addition of mineral acids to this ration, in such quanti- 

 ties as to make the urine of the individuals receiving it acid to litmus and 

 rich in ammonium salts, did not disturb its nutritive completeness. 



The addition, however, of wheat embryo to a corn ration did cause 

 disturbances, bringing about early abortions. This was due to its 

 high content of the toxic material of the wheat kernel. 



Considerations of the influence of such investigations on practice are 

 also presented. 



LITERATURE CITED 

 (i) Funk, Casimir. 



1913. STUDIEN UBER DAS WACHSTUM. I. MiTTElLrUNG. DAS WACHSTUM AUP 



VITAMINHALTIGER UNO VITAMINFREIER NAHRUNG. In Ztschf. 



Physiol. Chem., Bd. 88, Helf 5, p. 352-356. Literatur, p. 356. 

 (2) and Macallum, A. B. 



1914. DIE CHEMISCHEN DBTERMINANTEN DBS WACHSTUMS. /n ZtSChr. Physiol. 



Chem., Bd. 92, Heft i, p. 13-20, pi. 2. Literatur, p. 20. 



