THE WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMIN CONTENT OF THE 
VELVET BEAN 1 
By W. D. Salmon, * Assistant in Animal Industry Research , and Emerson R. 
' Miller, Research Chemist , Agricultural Experiment Station of the Alabama 
Polytechnic Institute 
INTRODUCTION 
Brief studies of the water-soluble vitamin content of the velvet 
bean have been reported. Data collected at the Agricultural Ex¬ 
periment Station of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1920-21 
by Miller, 2 Burleson, and Templeton show that velvet beans or 
alcoholic extracts of velvet beans improved the condition of poly¬ 
neuritic pigeons. 
Salmon 3 observed that polyneuritic pigeons were improved by the 
administration of ground velvet beans, and also that the onset of 
polyneuritis was delayed by furnishing an aqueous extract of velvet 
beans as the sole source of water to pigeons receiving a diet of polished 
rice. 
Sure and Read 4 report that when rats received 60 to 80 per cent 
of autoclaved velvet Deans, or 40 per cent of the raw beans, as the 
source of vitamin B, little growth resulted. These investigators con¬ 
cluded that the velvet- bean is very low in vitamin B. 
These results led the writers to undertake a more complete inves¬ 
tigation in which velvet beans from the same source would be tested 
on both pigeons and rats. 
CURATIVE EXPERIMENTS WITH PIGEONS 
A number of pigeons that had developed pronounced symptoms 
of polyneuritis on a diet of polished rice were restored to an apparently 
normal condition by 1 to 2 grams of finely ground velvet beans. 5 
One pigeon (No. 19) that was having spasms was given 1 gram of 
velvet beans. The bird appeared to be normal the next day, and 
no further symptoms of polyneuritis appeared for five days after the 
1 gram of beans was administered. 
Other pigeons were cured by alcoholic and acetic-acid extracts of 
velvet beans. Several of the polyneuritic pigeons that received such 
extracts vrere not cured, however. In most cases considerable im¬ 
provement in the condition of the bird was noted, and in a few cases 
birds that had apparently been cured died a few days later. 
PREVENTIVE EXPERIMENTS WITH PIGEONS 
The preventive tests were begun in July, 1922, with velvet beans 
from the 1921 crop. The beans or extracts of the beans were fed by 
hand. Polished rice was kept before the birds at all times, except 
in the cases where it was fed by hand (noted in Table I). 
, i Received for publication Jan. 26,1925; issued December, 1925. Published with the permission of the 
director of the Alabama Experiment Station. 
a Miller, E. R. do velvet beans contain vitamin b? (Abstract) Science 56:25.. 1922. 
3 Salmon, W. D. the effect of feeding velvet beans to pigeons. Science 56:368. 1922. 
4 Sure, B., and Read, J. W. biological analysis of the seed of the Georgia velvet bean, sti- 
zolobium deeringianum. Jour. Agr. Research 22:5-15, illus. 1921. 
* Shelled velvet beans. Early Speckled variety, were used in all tests reported in this paper. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
( 793 ) 
Vol. XXXI, No. 8 
Oct. 15, 1925 
Key No. Ala.-ll 
