284 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



(2) To what extent, if any, do other toxic substances not related to 

 gossypol contribute to the total action of cottonseed meal — i. e., are 

 decomposition products and toxic alkaloids present in cottonseed meal ? 

 In this connection it may be stated that Friemann (1909) found an 

 unidentified alkaloid in cottonseed meal, which caused paralysis of 

 exposed frogs' hearts. Werenskiold (1897) obtained from cottonseed 

 meal an alkaloid for which he proposed the name "gossypein." He 

 also found betain and cholin. Withers and Fraps (1901, p. 81) state: 



Gossypein, if present in the sample tested, was present in very minute quantity. 

 The filtrate from 363 grams cottonseed meal, ready for precipitation with phospho- 

 tungstic acid, was extracted with chloroform, and nitrogen was determined in the 

 extract. It was equivalent to 0.008 per cent gossypein (calculated as cholin). 



Withers and Ray (1913b) state: 



No evidence was found of the presence of toxic alkaloids in the feed, or of hydro- 

 cyanic acid in the feed or in the bodies of animals dead from eating cottonseed meal . 



The fact that many solvents acting on cottonseed meal failed to remove 

 the toxic substance suggests the possibility that in the manufacture of 

 cottonseed meal the gossypol in the glands is fixed dyelike in the tissue 

 of the seed, so that solvents like ether, in which gossypol is easily soluble, 

 do not completely extract it. Gossypin is said to dye wool and silk 

 (proteid materials). (See p. 265.) Again, some of the glands may be 

 made impervious to the action of solvents by the mucilaginous substance 

 surrounding the secretion. As is well known, cottonseed contains a 

 large amount of rafifinose (4 to 6 per cent). In the manufacture of the 

 meal — e. g., in steaming — this may be partly dissolved and subsequently 

 a film of this sugar deposited on the particles of meal. These factors 

 must be considered with reference to the nonremoval of gossypol from 

 the meal by solvents. 



It may be noted that every gram of extracted residue represents at 

 least 1.5 gm. of kernels. A ration of 15 gm. per day means that the 

 animal eats all the protein and practically all the phosphorus of 22.5 gm. 

 of seeds. 



The residue (feed 316) is rich in nitrogen and ash. The values of 

 nitrogen, protein, sulphur, and phosphorus in the ground kernels, and in 

 feeds 316 and 331 are given in Table XV. 



Table XV. — Percentage of nitrogen, protein, sulphur, and phosphorus in ground cotton- 

 seed kernels and in feeds Jl6 and JJI 



