Feeding Stuffs. 247 
In only one of the foregoing cases was borax found to be 
absent. 
4. Compound Feeding Cakes and Meals. 
The samples sent have been of the usual variable quality, 
some being quite good and made from sound and suitable 
feeding materials, while others have been made the media for 
using up matter of, to say the least, “ doubtful ” nature. It 
not infrequently happens that, in the making up of a compound 
cake, oil-containing materials are imported from abroad of 
which little is known, and as they come over with castor 
oil beans, or are shipped at ports whence castor bean is 
exported, a source of danger thereby attaches to their use. 
I have had before me several instances of the use of such 
materials in which castor bean, to more or less extent, often 
occurs, and their use in compound cakes subsequently has led 
to cases of injury and death to stock. 
5. Java Beans. 
A further source of danger to stock has been observed 
from the use of beans imported from abroad under the names 
“ Java beans ” or “ red Rangoon beans,” and their composition 
and nature have been made the object of study by several 
investigators. It has now been ascertained that they contain 
an ingredient capable of developing hydrocyanic (prussic) acid, 
and so poisoning stock. In Scotland, especially, there have 
been several instances of serious losses from the use of these 
beans, and it behoves stock owners to be on their guard 
respecting the use of bean meal which may possibly contain 
these foreign beans. For my own part I hold that it is unwise 
to purchase, in the form of meal, beans, maize, and other foods 
which are readily obtainable whole ; much the best plan is to 
purchase these in the whole state, when impurities can be 
readily detected, and to grind them into meal on the farm. 
6. “ Sharps ” adulterated with Coffee-bean Husk. 
Attention has been drawn in previous Reports to the use 
of the husk or “parchment” skin of the coffee bean as an 
adulterant of bran, “ sharps,” and other milling products. The 
exposure of this practice in the publications of the Society has, 
no doubt, been responsible, in great measure, for the general 
cessation of the practice, but now and again instances come up 
of its recurrence. One such case was before me recently, and 
in this the coffee-bean husk was so finely ground up as to make 
its detection, except by the microscope, impossible. 
7. Miscellaneous Feeding Materials. 
Two analyses are appended — the first of maize germ cake, 
and the second of oat siftings from the manufacture of a 
