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.

    43/106 (page 39)
    In the eight experimentH compriHinp soricH B nibbit.s Noh. oG7, 254, 279, and 255, which may be dcHignuted as Group II, received doHcs of lfj2, IfJO, IGG, and 158 mg, respectively. Nos. 5(>2, oGl, 5(50, and 559, which may be designated as Group I, received about 200 nig caffein per kilo. In Group II, which received the smaller doses, one (No. 254) survived. This may be regarded aH exceptional, since, a.s was shown in the experiments of the preceding series, even smaller doses may be fatal. About IGO mg ])or kilo is, therefore, the smallest surely fatal dose. Thus might be regarded aa a contradiction of the results obtained for rabbit No. 559, but it will be noticed that in this Ciise diuresis was very marked. The results of experiments Nos. 294 and 255 are of interest in this connection, since they indicate that a moderate difference in the rate of injection is without any effect on the toxicity of caffein. The greater resistance to caffein of rabbit No. 559 is in all probability due, therefore, to increased diuresis. Series C. In these experiments the minimum toxic dose was determined. The conditions were the same as in the experiments of the other series. Rabbit 29S. Belgian hare, female. Weight, 1,610 grams. Diet, oats. February IS: 3.40 to 3.43 p. m., 4 cc 2 per cent warm caffein solution injected into ear vein, convulsions when 3 cc were injected, repeated attacks; 4 p. m., raised itself on legs, but fell over immediately and lay stretched on abdomen. February 19: 9 a. m., rabbit looked normal, apparently recovered. Rabbit 227. White male. Weight, 2,320 grams. October 26: 3.29} to 3.37^ p. m., injected into ear from burette G.7 cc 2 per cent caffein, no symptoms; experiment discontinued; survived. Rabbit 563. Gray female. Weight, 1,650 grams. Diet, oats. February G: Injection began at 1.02 p. m., injected 3.5 cc 2 per cent caffein (42 mg per kilo) in four minutes, O.G cc more Avithin the next two and one-half minutes, total amount injected 4.1 cc; 1.10 p. m., hypersensitive, some disturbance of muscular coordination; restlessness; 1.35. p m., reflexes decreased, urinated and walked about, gait normal. Under observation for several days; no symptoms noted. Rabbit 564. Gray female. Weight, 1,515 grams. February 6: Injection began at 1.26 p. m., 3.5 cc 2 per cent caffein (46 mg per kilo) injected at the rate of 1 cc per minute; 1.30 p. m., reflexes increa.sed; 1.34 p. m., marked paresis of the extremities, rabbit stretched out on abdomen, legs abducted and partly extended, able to hop about but gait disturbed, no untoward symptoms noticed, under observation for several days after experiment. Rabbit 565. Gray female. Weight, 1,.545 grains. Diet, oats. February G: Started to inject at 3.40 p. m., received 2.5 cc 2 per cent cafTein intra- venously in two minutes or 32 mg per kilo, under observation all afternoon, no symptoms. Rabbit 566. Gray female. Weight, 1,900 gram^. Diet oats. February G: Injection began at 3.05 p. m., received 3 cc 2 per cent caffein intra- venously in three minutes or 31 mg per kilo, no symptoms observed. These experiments show that a dose of about 50 mg per kilo when injected intra- venously produces mild symptoms, such as increased reflexes. In the four experi- ments with this amount of caffein these effects were observed in each case. In the experiments in which smaller quantities, 30 mg per kilo, were given intravenously there was no manifestation of symptoms. A dose not over 50 mg per kilo may, there- fore, be regarded as the minimum toxic dose when injected intravenously under the conditions stated. Series D. A 0.5 per cent caffein solution was used in these experiments in order to test the effect of concentration on its toxicity; the rate of injection was 1 cc per minute. Rabbit 569. Gray male. Weight, 1,475 grams. Diet, oats. February 6: 11.50 a. m. to 12.01 p. ni., injected 10 cc 0.5 per cent caffein; 12.03 to 12.12 p m., injected 10 cc of 0.5 per cent caffein; 12.13 to 12.26 p. m., injected