92 



AEON. 



as this did not increase its palatability I neutralized the acid by means 

 of sodium or potassium hydroxide. But the alkali salts, while they did 

 not offer as great an obstacle, were also not attractive to the birds. 

 Finally, I prepared calcium phytate by neutralizing a concentrated solu- 

 tion of phytic acid in water by means of a concentrated solution of cal- 

 cium acetate. The calcium salt of phytic acid is not very soluble in 

 water; it is precipitated and filtered. The preparation has but a slight 

 taste and the odor of acetic acid. In the last two months of the second 

 set of experiments, this preparation was fed directly, each foAvl receiving 

 daily in the morning one gram of the calcium phytate. 



All the birds which I used were young, still growing, and from about 

 600 to 1,000 grams in weight. I chose young chickens because I believed 

 that they would contract the disease 'at an earlier period than old ones. 

 The rice was at first given almost in the dry state, and later, as a change, 

 cooked rice was also prepared, but the birds seemed to take even less of 

 the latter than of the former. A sufficient quantity of the grain was 

 given each day, and care was taken that some rice was always left over. 

 It seems worthy of note that the animals at first instinctively attempted 

 to pick out the grains of rice which were not so highly polished, and if a 

 mixture of white and red rice was given, they would select all the 

 unhusked grains, leaving the others. My general observation is that 

 chickens in the beginning will take white rice in large amounts, but after 

 some time they tire of it and then they do not eat it readily. The course 

 of the experiments is given in the following tables : 



Experiment I. — Fmvls fed on white rice and white rice with phytic acid. 



Five (six) chickens kept in large wooden cages. 



WHITE RICE. 



Mark of fowl. 



Month, day, and weight in grams. 



Begin- 

 ning 

 of the 



disease. 



Death. 



Sept. 13. 



Sept. 20. 



Sept. 27. 



Oct. 3. 



Oct. 8. 



a _„ 



d 



575 

 469 

 314 



464 

 421 

 300 



131 

 323 

 233 



394 

 319 

 224 



351 

 305 

 236 



Oct. 9 

 Oct. 8 

 Oct. 12 



Oct. 14 

 Oct. 10 

 Oct. 15 







WHITE RICE AND PHYTIC ACID. 



Mark of 

 fowl . 



Month, day, and weight in grams. 



Result. 



Sept. 

 13. 



Sept, 

 20. 



Sept. 

 27. 



Oct. 3. 



Oct. 8. 



Oct. 15. 



Oct. 21. 



b 



c 



f 



500 

 417 

 310 



Kscap 

 456 

 331 



ed Sept 

 439 

 317 



14. .. 











479 

 288 



522 

 298 



505 

 272 



253 



Transferred to experiment II. 

 Oct. 25, died showing symp- 

 toms of paralysis beginning 

 Oct. 23. 



