20 TECHNICAL BULLETIN 134, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
and more convenient procedure. It was concluded that direct oven 
drying gives as good results as preliminary air drying in the produc- 
tion of toxic squill powders. 
EFFECT OF FERMENTATION ON TOXICITY AND YIELD OF POWDER 
The 1925 experiments showed that sliced composites of fresh squill 
bulb fermented rapidly upon exposure to the air. Accordingly, an 
experiment was conducted to determine the effect of fermentation on 
the toxicity of squill powders, and incidentally to determine whether 
the fermentation was conducted upon the glucose of the toxic gluco- 
side (or glucosides). 
Portions of chopped composite taken from a fermenting lot and 
dried formed series 1. (Table 8.) One lot (P. C. 719A) was made 
by directly drying the unfermented squill in an electric oven at 80° C. 
Another (P. C. 719AF) was made from the same composite, which had 
stood in a closed fruit jar for 11 days at room temperature (25° C). 
By this time the fermentaion had reached the alcoholic stage, that is, 
the odor of alcohol was apparent when the jar was opened. From 
500,000,000 to 800,000,000 bacteria, from 5,000,000 to 18,000,000 
yeasts, and 10,000 molds per gram were found in different parts of 
the material.^ After fermentation had reached the acetic-acid stage, 
sample P. C. 719AAF was taken. 
Table 8. — Effect of fermentation on yield and toxicity of red-squill powders 
Series No. 
Yield 
Toxicity 
Unfer- 
mented 
Alco- 
holic 
Acetic 
acid 
Unfer- 
mented 
Alco- 
holic 
Acetic 
acid 
1-.- - 
Per cent 
23.2 
Per cent 
17.8 
Per cent 
12.0 
Mg. per 
kgm. of 
body 
weight 
1,000 
250-350 
500-1,000 
Mg. per 
kgm. of 
body 
weight 
2,000 
Mg. per 
kgm. of 
body 
weight 
2,000 
750 
750 
2 
3 
For series 2, a mixture of bulbs comprising the whitish-pink (P. C. 
720) and the pink-red (P. C. 721), and for series 3 a mixture of the 
deep-red (P. C. 722) and the nearly red (P. C. 723) color groups of 
bulbs (p. 21) were allowed to rot to the slimy, oozy stage and were 
then sliced and dried in a steam-heated commercial drying oven. 
Samples P. C. 767 and P. C. 768 were produced. 
In series 1 the yield and the toxicity decreased during fermentation. 
The sample taken during the stage of acetic-acid fermentation gave 
only half as much powder as the unfermented bulb, and it was only 
half as toxic to rats. A similar loss in activity was noted in series 2. 
Incomplete data were obtained in series 3, owing to lack of material. 
It was concluded that chopped bulbs should be dried immediately 
to avoid decreases in yield and toxicity following fermentation. 
EFFECT OF VARIABILITY OF SQUILL BULBS ON TOXICITY 
Variations in the toxicity of squill preparations have been reported 
in the literature. Origin, climatic conditions during growth, and 
season of harvesting are reported to be factors in the toxicity of squill. 
* These determinations were made by B. A. Linden, of the Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration* 
