In the fall of 1904, Doctor White, a Short-horn bull owned by the Iowa State College, died. A post mortem examination showed his kidneys to contain a large number of calculi, some of which are shown in figure 1.

These calculi are composed principally of lime phosphate but contain larger or smaller amounts of all the urinary constituents as acculusions.

Up to the time of his death Doctor White had received a normal hay and grain ration to which roots (mangel wurtzels) had been added. Reference has from time to time been made in farm journals both in this country and abroad to a possible connection between roots and kidney stones or at least disturbances of the kidneys.

With this possible cause of the formation of calculi in the kidneys of Doctor White in mind, a solution of the problem was undertaken. To date, the investigation has covered five years.