278 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. V, No. 7 
TOXICITY OF GOSSYPOE EXTRACT FREED OF GOSSYPOE (FEED 340) 
Gossypol extract was treated with acetic acid for the preparation of 
gossypol “acetate,” as previously described. The precipitate contained 
most of the gossypol. The filtrate, which contained only a small amount 
of it, was mixed with corn meal and dried. The extract, thus practi¬ 
cally freed of gossypol, was fed to two rabbits in very large amounts and 
produced no symptoms of poisoning in either. 
The rabbits weighed 1,995 and 1,986 gm., respectively. Each was 
fed the extract from 500 gm. of kernels during five days, the daily 
amounts for the first two days corresponding to 130 gm. each and for 
the three other days, 90 gm. each. No rabbit could have eaten within 
this short period without fatal results such a large amount of kernels or 
the gossypol from them. 
TOXICITY OF OXIDIZED GOSSYPOE (FEED 338) 
Withers and Eay (1913b) noted that the toxicity of cottonseed meal 
could be destroyed by boiling with alcoholic caustic soda. The alkaline 
alcoholic filtrate from this treatment was also found to be nontoxic, 
owing to the oxidation of the phenolic gossypol to an organic acid. *To 
ascertain the correctness of this view, weighed amounts of recrystallized 
gossypol dissolved in alcohol were treated with dilute caustic soda. The 
solution was exposed to air overnight, made slightly acid with hydro¬ 
chloric acid, and evaporated to dryness. The residue was mixed with 
corn meal and molasses for feeding. The substance had a pronounced 
bitter taste. Two small rabbits ate the oxidation product, equivalent 
to 3 gm. of gossypol apiece, in the course of 16 days without the 
slightest sign of being affected thereby. See Table IX. 
Table IX .—Result of feeding oxidized gossypol to rabbits a 
Weight of rabbit. 
Equiv¬ 
alent 
Rabbit No. 
Second 
day. 
Fif¬ 
teenth 
day. 
Gain. 
in gos¬ 
sypol 
of feed 
eaten. 
Gm, 
1,280 
850 
Gm. 
1,420 
1,065 
Gm. 
160 
Gm. 
3 
21S 
7 
V/ 
g On 4 days out of the 16 oxidized gossypol was not fed. 
TOXICITY OF KERNEES WITH GOSSYPOE INCOMPEETEEY EXTRACTED 
Ether-Extracted Kernels (Feed 316) 
Decorticated cotton seeds were secured from Charlotte, N. C. They 
were sifted to remove as much lint and hulls as possible. The kernels 
were then ground in a mill and sifted through an 18- to 20-mesh sieve and 
