May 1008,] 



440 



Edible Products. 



quickly excreted but accumulated in 

 large amount, is so slightly poisonous 

 that the theory was quickly aban- 

 doned as untenable. 



Recent investigations, particularly 

 those conducted by the Scientific De- 

 partment of the Imperial Institute in 

 1002 have however resulted in the dis- 

 covery of prussic acid and cyanide of 

 potassium in the young sorghum plants 

 in the proportion of 2 per cent., and 

 it is' appaerntly capable of proof that it 

 is to the toxic effect of these poisons that 

 the sudden and rapid mortalities are 

 due. The prussic acid is present in 

 dangerous amount only in certain stages 

 of growth (from five weeks to seven 

 weeks usually) and disappears gradu- 

 ally shortly after the blossoming stage, 

 when the year begins to form ; and has 

 completely disappeared when the seed 

 is ripe. It also disappears on drying 

 shortly after being cut. Prussic acid is 

 a very volatile substance and it appar- 

 ently quickly evaporates when the 

 plant cells are drying and therefore in- 

 capable of elaborating more of it. 



Its presence would appear to be in 

 inverse ratio to the vigor of growth of 

 the plant. It is found in increased quan- 

 tity during dry seasons and is almost 

 absent in plants grown quickly on moist 

 land. Stunted crops and crops that 

 have had uneven growth or a check 

 during growth are most likely to obtain 

 poisonous quantities of prussic acid. 

 Second growth is also more dangerous 

 than first growth. Unfortunately it is 

 just such crops as ax^e the most danger- 

 ous that a farmer is tempted to graze 

 off, arguing that a stunted crop or 

 second growth, is not worth the bother 

 of cutting. All varieties of the sorghum 

 family are liable to contain poison— none 

 are immune. When grown on laud 

 rich in nitrogenous elements (e.g., when 

 manured with nitrate of soda) the 

 amount of poison is increased and by 

 experiment it has been shown that 4 

 lbs. of sorghum so grown contain suffi- 

 cient prussic acid to poison an ordinary 

 cow- 



Prevention :— To avoid poisoning ac- 

 cidents when feeding sorghums it is 

 advisible to adhere to the following 

 rules : — 



1. Never allow stock to have access 

 to growing crops of sorghum, millet, 

 amber cane, Dhoura or Bg.vptain corn, 

 Kaffir, coorn other plant of the sor- 

 ghum family. Apart from the danger of 

 poisoning the practice of grazing the 

 crop is a wasteful one. 



2. Never feed newly cut sorghum at 

 any stage of its growth, but always 



allow it to dry or " wilt " for one or 

 two days. If the atmosphere is dry 

 and sunny the danger will disappear 

 more quickly. 



3. Never feed immature growth. 

 Feed only in the green state crops 

 which have blossomed and are form- 

 ing again. 



4. Only use that sorghum as green 

 feed which has been grown vigorously 

 on moist land. Stunted crops off dry 

 land should be made into hay or 

 ensilage before use. 



5. Let the allowance be always mode- 

 rate in amount with a due proportion of 

 other foods. 



Treatment :— It will be obvious that 

 on account of the rapidity that death 

 occurs that treatment of affected ani- 

 mals is of little avail. The line of treat- 

 ment promising best results is the 

 prompt giving of ammonia stimulants. 

 Allow continuous inhalation of ammonia 

 gas from strong fluid ammonia (Liq. 

 Amnion. Fort.) and give as a drenched 

 dissolved in cold water 1 oz. (or even 

 larger doses) of carbonate of ammonium 

 every hour. This latter will have 

 pronounced beneficient effect on the 

 hoveu (tympanitis) which usually accom- 

 panies the poisoning. The dose men- 

 tioned is for cattle ; for horses half that 

 that quantity and for sheep and pigs 1 

 proportionately less will suffice. If car- 

 bonate of ammonium is not to hand 

 ordinary baking soda will have the same 

 effect on the hoven, but it has no stimul- 

 ant properties, and consequently is not 

 a physiological antidote for the poison, 

 as is carbonate of ammonium.— Journal 

 of the Department of Agriculture of 

 Victoria, Vol. VI., Part 3, 0th March, 

 1908. 



POISONOUS BEANS. 



Mr. J. Hendrick reports in the trans- 

 actions of the Highland Agricultural 

 Society that in recent years many cases 

 of cattle poisoning have been reported 

 which were traced to beans imported 

 from Java. The author has studied the 

 question of such poisoning extensively 

 and summarizes his results in the paper 

 under consideration. He points out that 

 the beans contained a glucosid which 

 liberates hydrocyanic, or prussic, acid 

 when acted on by an enzym. Boiling the 

 beans destroys the enzym and renders 

 them harmless. Similar poisoning pro- 

 perties have been attributed to Ran- 

 goon, or Burma beans, and until definite 

 information is obtained the author in- 

 sists that such beans should not be used. 



