The toxicity of caffein : an experimental study on different species of animals / By William Salant and J. B. Rieger.

  • Salant, William, 1870-1943.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The toxicity of caffein : an experimental study on different species of animals / By William Salant and J. B. Rieger. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    spinal cord, and brain, sensation being paralyzed before movement. The injurious action of caffein proceeds, according to Hoppo, from the spinal cord. This was based on experiments on two frogs, Rana esculevta, in which the right h'g was am])utat(Ml, the nerve being left intact, while the nerve of the other leg was hgated. At the end of 30 minutes paralysis was more marked on the right than on the left side. In anotlicr frog of the same species he resected the femoral nerva on the right side; about 1^ hours after the administration of cafTcin convulsions were observed. The left leg was rigid, but the right was relaxed. Voit ^' (1860) ligated the vessels of the right lower extremity, cut the nerves of the left leg, and introduced a few drops of cafTein solution into the stomach. Shortly afterwards tetanus of the rig]it leg occurred on toucldng the back of the animal; the left leg was motionless. Later the entire body exliibited tetanic convulsions. From this and similar experiments Voit concluded that cafFein acts first and principally on the central nervous sj^stem, and that cafFein is also poisonous to nerve and muscle fibers, as they die when a solution of caffein is applied to them. The action of caffein, according to Voit, is similar in great part to that of strychnin. The effect on the blood vessels is particularly interesting, as Voit observed dilatation of the vessels, due as he thought to muscular paralysis, and also trans- udation and congestion of the capillaries. Kurzak ^^ (1860) made a study of the comparative toxicity of caffein in frogs and rabbits and came to the conclusion tliat the lethal dose for frogs is about one-seventh of that for rabbits. Caffein citrate in the form of crystals was administered in both cases by mouth. The doses given to frogs were 1 to 1..5 grains. lie observed convulsions and increased respiratory activity at first; after one hour respiration diminislied and voluntary muscular activity disappeared. Even on the second day convulsions were sometimes noticed. Death occurred at the end of the first or second day. Experiments on only two rabbits were reported, 0.8 gram of cafFein citrate causing the death of one at the end of 13 hours. The symptoms noticed were the same practically as in frogs, but it is interesting to observe that ecchymosis of the mucous membranes of the stomach near the cardia was the only lesion found on autopsy. Several experiments made on different days on the other rabbit inchoated that the toxic dose exceeded 0.5 gram, while smaller doses caused but very mild symptoms. According to Gentilhomme (1867), after cafFein the reflexes are at first diminished and then disappear altogether. Death is produced by stiffness and immobility of all the muscles, particularly of the muscles of respiration, thus causing asphyxia. He furthermore held that caffein has no effect on cardiac or smooth muscle fiber, its action