Dec. 13.1915 
Beriberi and Cottonseed Poisoning in Pigs 
493 
than in man. In man symptoms rarely, if ever, appear before 90 days. 
In pigs the writers have found symptoms of a pronounced character in 
from 8 to 10 days. 
(2) It is believed that the so-called cottonseed poisoning of pigs is a 
deficiency disease, analogous to the disease known as beriberi in man, 
if not indeed identical with it. Acute cottonseed poisoning corresponds 
to wet beriberi, and the chronic form to dry beriberi. 
(3) The cause of the so-called cottonseed poisoning is probably a 
deficiency in the ration, causing, among other manifestations, profound 
changes in the nervous system. 
At first thought this theory is not justified. Beriberi results from a 
ration of highly milled rice, because substances vitally necessary to the 
animal organism have been removed from the rice grain in the process 
of milling. When pigs suffer from so-called cottonseed poisoning, it is 
only when cottonseed meal has been added to the ration. Pigs are 
seldom, if ever, fed on cottonseed meal alone. 
The following explanation of this condition is offered: The grain 
with which the cottonseed meal is most frequently combined is com. 
Com is notoriously deficient as a single feed for animals, and it must 
be properly balanced to be fed satisfactorily. The excellent results in 
feeding pigs which can be obtained from rations of com meal and skim 
mil k or other animal products, such as tankage, blood meal, fish meal, 
etc., are out of all proportion to the facts indicated by the conventional 
chemical analyses of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. When com meal 
is fed with cottonseed meal, a combination is made of two feeds both 
of which are deficient. 
The writers are engaged in further studies of this subject to determine 
more exactly the effects of cottonseed meal when fed in the ration of 
the pig, and to determine whether methods similar to those used to 
prevent beriberi in man can be practically applied to prevent the so- 
called cottonseed poisoning of pigs. 
