798 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXXI, No. 8 
Velvet beans cooked on boiling-water bath for one and one-half 
hours were no more efficient as a source of vitamin B than raw velvet 
beans, when both were fed at a concentration of 20 per cent (fig. 5). 
Rats lost weight rapidly on the 
basal diet plus 20 per cent of vel¬ 
vet beans that had been extracted 
with alcohol in.Soxhlet for 24 hours. 
The addition of 5 per cent of yeast 
to this diet enabled the rats to 
resume growth (fig. fi). 
When 50 per cent of raw velvet 
beans was added to the basal diet 
there was no appreciable growth 
(fig. 7). Growth was even less sat¬ 
isfactory on this diet than on the 
one that contained 10 per cent of 
raw velvet beans. Apparently the 
benefit of the added supply of vit¬ 
amin was overcome by the mjurious 
effect of the larger percentage of beans. The addition of 5 per cent 
of yeast to the diet that contained 50 per cent of raw beans resulted 
in slight improvement in 
Fig. 6. —Weight curves of rats. Basal diet, plus 
20 per cent velvet beans previously extracted 
with alcohol. At point X, 5 per cent dried 
yeast was added 
the growth rate (fig. 8), 
but did not produce as 
satisfactory growth as the 
addition of a like amount 
of yeast to the diet that 
contained only 20 per cent 
of raw beans. There was 
considerable diarrhea 
among the rats that re¬ 
ceived the diet containing 
50 per cent of raw beans. 
The results indicate that the harmful effect of the beans was the 
most important limiting factor in this diet, although the 50 per cent 
of raw beans appar- 
Fig. 7.—Weight curves of rats. Basal diet, plus 50 per cent 
raw velvet beans 
ently did not furnish 
the optimum supply 
of vitamin B. 
A comparison of 
Figures 8 and 9 shows 
that cooking the beans 
on boiling-water bath 
for one and one-half 
hours lessened the 
harmful effect. The 
feces of the group re¬ 
ceiving 50 per cent of 
cooked beans (with 
yeast) were normal, 
and the rats remained clean and plump, in marked contrast to the soiled, 
unthrifty appearance of those that received 50 per cent of raw beans. 
Growth was not as satisfactory, however, on 50 per cent of cooked 
beans (yeast added) as on 20 per cent of raw beans (yeast added). 
Fig. 8 .—Weight curves of rats. Basal diet, plus 50 per cent raw 
velvet beans, plus 5 per cent yeast 
