The Effect of Alfalfa Lipids upon the Progress of Sweet Clover Poisoning in Cattle

In a previous publication data obtained by Phillips et al. (4) seemed to indicate that cattle need added vitamin K on certain diets.On the basis of this preliminary observation an attempt was made to ascertain whether or not vitamin K was associated with toxic sweet clover poisoning.The investigations of Schofield (9, 10), Roderick (7, 8), and Quick (5) indicate that toxic sweet clover poisoning results in a lowering of the prothrombin content of the blood.Schonheyder (11) and Dam et al. (2) and others have shown that a vitamin K deficiency in the chick causes a reduced prothrombin level of the blood.On the other hand, Campbell et al. (1) were unable to protect rabbits against toxic sweet clover poisoning with 2-methyl 1 ; 4 naphthoquinone.Quick (6) used dehydrated alfalfa meal to protect against toxic sweet clover poisoning and reported the prevention of the delay in clotting time.Smith (12, 13) could not confirm these results even with 50 per cent alfalfa hay in the toxic sweet clover ration of the rabbit.EXPERIMENTAL Two Guernsey bull calves were purchased from a farm where several deaths from toxic sweet clover poisoning had occurred in the herd.These calves, which had received toxic sweet clover as a part of their roughage diet for some six weeks before purchase, were placed upon a ration composed of white corn 22 parts, linseed meal 23 parts, wheat middlings 11.5 parts, toxic sweet clover 40 parts, ground limestone 3.0 parts, iodized salt 0.5 part, and irradiated yeast 0.1 part.Carotene in Wesson oil was used to supply vitamin A. These calves weighed about 500 pounds at the beginning of the period.Two Holstein heifers (350 lbs.) were fed a similar ration except that they received only 10 per cent toxic sweet clover in place of the 40 per cent mentioned above.Other cattle of like age and weight were also available as controls.