724 



Phaseolus Lunatus Beans. 



[march, 



3 In 1905 interest in the matter of the production of prussic 

 acid by the beans of 'Phaseolus lunatus was reawakened by 

 the importation into the United Kingdom of large quantities 

 of beans from Java, to the use of which, for feeding cattle, 

 numerous cases of poisoning were traced, especially in Scotland.* 



Samples of these " Java beans " were received at the Imperial 

 Institute from various firms. They closely resembled the 

 beans of Phaseolus lunatus, as received from Mauritius, and on 

 examination proved, like these, to yield comparatively large 

 quantities of prussic acid. These " Java beans n were 

 imported, not only into the United Kingdom, but also into 

 Holland, Germany and France, and in all three countries 

 similar poisoning cases occurred. 



At this period a systematic investigation of the beans of 

 Phaseolus lunatus, as produced in different localities, was under- 

 taken by Professor Guignard (" Comptes Rendus," 1906, 

 CXLVII, 545), and an examination of Java beans was made 

 by M. Kohn-Abrest (ibid., p. 586). Both these investigators 

 confirmed the observations made at the Imperial Institute 

 that the Java beans yielded comparatively large quantities 

 of hydrocyanic acid. Professor Guignard also found that red 

 Rangoon beans yielded small amounts of prussic acid, but he 

 stated that the white cultivated beans of Phaseolus lunatus, 

 such as those produced in Madagascar, Rangoon, Southern 

 France, &c, also yielded prussic acid, though in most cases 

 only in mere traces. 



Messrs. Tatlock and Thomson examined a number of com- 

 mercial samples of Java, Rangoon and haricot beans, and their 

 results, which also indicate that some samples of the white 

 beans of Phaseolus lunatus yield prussic acid, are given in the 

 Analyst for August, 1906. 



In March, 1907, Mr. Hendrick, chemist to the Highland 

 and Agricultural Society of Scotland, sent to the Imperial 

 Institute a sample of white Rangoon beans, which he had found 

 on examination yielded -016 per cent, of prussic acid. 



In May, 1907, the Board of Agriculture called the atten- 

 tion of the Director of the Imperial Institute to the fact 

 that white Rangoon beans had been found in some instances 



* Journal, March, 1906, Vol. XII, p. 742, and April, 1906, Vol. XII T, p. 52. 



