1908.] 



Phaseolus Lunatus Beans. 



727 



In addition to the foregoing, a number of miscellaneous 

 samples of beans have been received at the Imperial Institute 

 for examination in connection with this inquiry, and as one of 

 these, which is probably not the product of Phaseolus lunatus, 

 also yields traces of prussic acid, it may be of interest to record 

 the results here. 



Samples received from the Board of Agriculture. 



Prussic Acid. 



" Large white haricots " obtained in Glasgow ... Nil. 

 " Small white haricots," said to be of Hungarian 



origin ... ... ... ... .... ... Nil. 



Samples obtained from Firms in London. 



Prussic Acid, 



Firm A J " Butter beans," large white Traces 



1 " Dark red haricots " ... ... ... Nil. 



Firm B. Danubian beans Nil. 



Samples obtained in Paris. 



Prussic Acid. 



Haricots d' Alger, blanc a rames " ... Nil. 



Haricots d' Alger, noir a rames ... * Nil. 



It is of interest to note that the " butter beans " now largely 

 sold for human food in this country furnish traces of prussic 

 acid, but the other " haricot " beans included in this group, 

 which are probably mainly, if not wholly, derived from Phaseolus 

 vulgaris, yield none. 



It will be seen on comparing the results quoted in these 

 two sets of tables that all the earlier analyses indicate the 

 production by white Burma beans of no prussic acid or only 

 traces; fairly large quantities (0*016 to 0*026) per cent, have 

 so far as is known only been recorded for consignments of white 

 Burma beans imported during 1907. Even these quantities 

 are, however, only about one-fifth of those yielded by some 

 specimens of Java beans, which were coloured. 



No explanation of this unfavourable change in the quality 

 of white Burma beans can be given at present. 



It has been suggested recently by the French Consul at 

 Rangoon that consignments of Rangoon beans may contain 



