Nov. IS. 191S Gossypol, the Toxic Substance in Cottonseed Meal 273 



POST-MORTEM OBSERVATIONS 



Rabbit 954. — Excess fluid in abdominal cavity. Serous membrane in icteric 

 condition. 



Rabbit 961. — Large excess abdominal fluid. Small intestines show enteritis. 

 Blood vessels congested. 



Rabbit 962. — Large excess abdominal fluid. Small intestines inflamed and hemor- 

 rhagic. Small thrombus in right heart. 



Guinea pig A. — Evidently died from mesenteric twist (convolvulus) in intestines. 

 Posterior third greatly inflamed. Lungs congested and edematous. 



Rabbit 949. — Slight excess of abdominal fluid. Small intestines conspicuously 

 inflamed. Large pericardial abscess present. Enteritis. 



Rabbit 937. — Slight excess abdominal fluid. Small intestines irritated throughout. 

 Conspicuous thrombi in heart. Lungs congested and edematous. 



TOXICITY OF crystalune; gossypol "acetate;" 



Crystalline gossypol "acetate" v^^as obtained from a gossypol extract by 

 the action of glacial acetic acid, which caused a slow deposition of yellow 

 crystals. We have designated this substance as an "acetate," although 

 the acetic acid present is not firmly bound.' The product corresponded 

 in general properties to Marchlewski's gossypol. It was administered 

 intraperitoneally to four rabbits, proving fatal, and was fed daily to 

 eight rabbits. It rnade all of them sick. One died from secondary 

 causes. Two refused to eat the feed after 5 and 15 days, respectively, 

 and five died within from 13 to 55 days, having eaten from 0.35 to 2.53 

 gm. of crystalline gossypol "acetate." 



Intraperitoneal Injection op Crystalline Gossypol "Acetate" 



We dissolved 1.2 gm. of gossypol "acetate" in ether and mixed the solu- 

 tion with 16 c. c. of cottonseed oil. The ether was evaporated by heat- 

 ing over a steam bath. This was given intraperitoneally to two rabbits 

 of about 1,100 gm. weight so that each rabbit received from 0.5 to 

 0.55 gm. of gossypol "acetate." Both animals died and were cold in six 

 hours. The autopsy showed a considerable portion of the dose in the 

 abdominal cavity, so that much more than a lethal dose was given. 



About 3 gm. of a yellow, crudely crystalline product similar to that 

 which was injected in 0.5 gm. doses to rabbits 955 and 956 was recrystal- 

 lized as follows : The material was dissolved in hot alcohol and heated to 

 boiling, then 50 per cent of acetic acid was added until the liquid became 

 slightly turbid. This mixture was again heated to the boiling point and 

 allowed to cool. Most of the substance separated in yellow, flat, pointed 

 crystals, about o.i to 0.5 mm. long, which melted with darkening at 

 about 178° C. 



' The term "acetate" is arbitrarily used. Gossypol crystallizes from glacial acetic acid and even from 

 qtiite dilute acetic acid with a molecule of acetic acid, which is not removed by long boiling with water 

 or by heating to iis° to 120°. Its presence thus escaped our attention as it did Marchlewski's. Itis 

 entirely improbable that a small amount of acetic acid modifies in any way the physiological action of 

 gossypol. See " Results of feeding precipitated gossypol." 



