96 Report or DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY OF THE 
d, An increase in the flow of milk consequent upon the with- 
drawal from the ration of the phytin and other water-soluble con- 
stituents of bran. 
e. A reduction, sometimes large, in the percentage of fat in the 
milk consequent upon the withdrawal from the ration of phytin 
and other water-soluble constituents of bran. 
f. A decreased production of butter-fat during the period the 
washed bran ration was fed, notwithstanding a somewhat increased 
flow of milk. 
g. The entire cessation of the oestrum period with cow I and a 
temporary disturbance of this period with cow 2. 
h, The foregoing effects were observed chiefly in experiments I 
and 3, in which the difference in the phosphorus content of the 
two rations was brought about by leaching the phytin and other 
soluble compounds out of the wheat bran. In experiment number 
2 where the phytin content was small and remained unchanged, 
similar physiological influences were not sufficiently marked to place 
much emphasis upon them. 
To what cause shall these physiological influences be attributed? 
—We now come to the important question as to what compound 
or compounds in the rations may be regarded as the exciting cause 
of the physiological influences observed. It is doubtful whether 
our data justify definite conclusions, but the situation may be some- 
what elucidated, perhaps, by a discussion of certain factors enter- 
ing into the problem. There are several possibilities to be con- 
sidered: 
1. The difference in effect of the two rations may be due to the 
larger supply of phosphorus in one ration without reference to the 
form of the combination. 
2. The compound known as phytin may have specific physio- 
logical influences in several directions. 
3. The withdrawal from the ration of the basic compounds with 
which phosphorus is associated in the compound phytin may explain 
wholly or in part the peculiar physiological influences observed. 
In discussing the first point it should be stated that experiment 
2 was planned with the hope that by eliminating the phytin and 
varying the quantity of other phosphorus compounds light would 
be thrown upon the question of the influence of the supply of 
organic phosphorus bodies without reference to their nature. The 
