126 Quarterly Report of the Chemical Committee, March 1892 . 
Deab Sir, — I enclose postal order 10s. for analysis of a sample of cotton- 
cake which I send by parcel post ; it is Stead’s (Liverpool) brand. It was 
fed to a number of fat cattle which were badly scoured the next day after 
getting it ; the cattleman, not suspecting anything wrong with the cake, 
gave them an extra proportion of it that day to counteract the effects of 
the irritant from which they were suffering. But as the cattle were more 
purged than ever next day, I concluded the cotton-cake must be at fault, 
and stopped the use of it, with the desired result. The cattle are getting 
other cake and meals, but the cotton-cake was the only change they had in 
their food, which is my reason for blaming it for the trouble. — Yours truly, 
J. Maxwell. 
Dr. Voelcker’s analysis of the cake was : — 
December 11, 1891. 
Moisture 
Oil 
^ Albuminous compounds (flesh-forming matters) 
Mucilage, sugar, and digestible fibre 
Woody fibre (cellulose) ..... 
Mineral matter (ash) ..... 
' Containing nitrogen .... 
13-75 \ 
3-63 
23-29 
32-92 ■ 
21-06 
5-.35^ 
100-00 
3-72 
Dr. Voelcker wrote as follows : — 
Dear Sir, — The cotton-cake which you sent me I have examined, and 
enclose now the analysis. The latter shows it to be extremely low in oil. 
But this is not all : the cake is one which is full of cotton- wool. This has 
not been properly removed from the seed before the latter was crushed, and 
it is now distributed throughout the cake. The woody fibres can be seen 
running throughout it, and here and there are quite big pieces of cotton- 
wool. Besides this, the cake is not fresh, but is dark-coloured and stale. 
Such a cake is, in my opinion, a dangerous one to use for stock. — Yours 
faithfully, J. Aegestus Voelcker. 
On December 31 Mr. Maxwell sent further samples, writing 
thus : — 
Dear Sir, — Re cake No. 10. Mr. Stead was here yesterday and took 
samples of the remainder of the cotton-cake in dispute. Ills samples are to 
be submitted to brokers in Liverpool as referees ; the samples I took (dupli- 
cates of the pieces he sampled) have been sent on to you to-day, carriage 
paid, and I -will be glad to have your further report about them. Stead 
maintains they were not parties to the previous sampling, and will not 
recognise your analysis and report of the sample. I did not tell Mr. Stead 
that this sample would be sent to you, so will thank you to mark on your 
analysis the particulars of the seal on the parcel. — Yours truly, 
J. Maxwell. 
Dr. Voelcker’s analysis was : — 
Moisture 
Oil 
^ Albuminous compounds (flesh-forming matters) 
Mucilage, sugar, and digestible fibre 
Woody fibre (cellulose) 
Mineral matter (ash) . . . . 
January 6, 1892. 
13-40\ 
4-80 
25-25 
30-90 
20-16 
6'49' 
; y 100-00 
* Containing nitrogen 
404 
