222
Studies on Lupinus angustifolius L.
DISCUSSION
It can be seen from the tabular statement that
(a) even a small animal as a goat weighing about 45 lb. was able to take
upto 1 lb. of the raw powdered seeds without showing any toxic symptoms or
any untoward signs except satiation on the 4th day after the feed was raised
to 1 lb. a day. It has even shown an increase in weight.
(b) no satiation was observed when fed with the seeds up to 12 ounces a
day ; from this it may be inferred that the above effect has probably been
brought about by the excess of protein matter fed. If 12 ounces cannot pro-
duce satiation in a goat weighing about 45 lb., it may reasonably be assumed
that about 3 lb. of the raw seeds (i.e. about 4 times the goat's dose) may not
produce any such effect in a bullock with an average weight of about 300 lb.
The quantity of the seeds that is at present being fed in the Nanjanad farm is
only 1 lb. a day for a bullock—a quantity which did not produce any ill-effect
even in such a small ruminant as a goat.
It has already been discussed, under biological experiments, that the
alkaloidal content of 60 to 70 lb. or even more of the raw seeds may be re-
quired to prove lethal to a bullock weighing about 300 to 350 lb., taking the
alkaloidal content of the seeds as 0.13 per cent, according to the assay made
in this laboratory. Even if the alkaloidal content in certain samples of the
seeds should be as high as 1.2 per cent as reported by Beckel quoted by Weh¬
mer [1929], i.e. about 10 times the percentage found in this laboratory, the
ingestion of about 6 to 7 lb. of the raw seeds will be required for it to prove
lethal to a bullock weighing about 300 to 350 lb. It is, therefore, considered
that feeding a bullock, having an average weight of about 300 lb., with the raw
seeds up to 3 lb. a day cannot produce any harmful effect;
(c) further, from the fact that the goat suffered from no ill-effect even
though it was continuously fed for 29 days with the raw powdered seeds in
gradually increasing quantities from a minimum of 4 ounces up to a maximum
of 16 ounces, it may be inferred that the alkaloids in the seeds do not appear
to produce any cumulative effect. Probably the alkaloids are quickly elimina-
ted and this question is being studied.
These findings indicate that the sweet lupin seeds can safely be fed to
bullocks and goats and that the amount of alkaloid contained in them is not
likely to prove toxic or produce any ill-effects when fed in moderate quantities,
say, up to 3 lb. a day for a bullock with an average weight of about 300 to 350
lb. The results of the experiment conducted on the goat show that the
precautionary measures suggested for the removal of the bitter principles
do not appear to be necessary. The seeds may, therefore, be fed raw-
powdered, crushed or in any edible form.
The crop of Lupinus angustifolius when grown in the hills or any such
localities, in rotation with the potato or any other crop, will serve the dual
purpose namely (1) of improving and enriching the poor soils and (2) of supply-
ing food for the cattle. The plant itself after harvesting may also be useful
as fodder for cattle, in times of scarcity and it deserves a detailed investigation.
The results of the experiments carried out by the authors on the goat
confirm those obtained at the Agricultural Research Station, Nanjanad, with