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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    Equally interestincjj is the observation of the writer, that in the guinea ])i,i; the difToreuce in the toxicity between the subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injections is very sli^jht, wliile in the cat tiie toxicity of caffein is the same whether given by mouth or injected into the subcutaneous tissues, and is markedly less when injected into the j)eritoneal cavity. The experiments on dogs show considerable variation of elTective dose when given by mouth, but the interest- ing obsers'ation w^is made that the toxic dose by mouth may be smaller in some cases than the average dose by subcutaneous injec- tion. If the resistance to caffein by subcutaneous injection of the diflferent species of animals experimented upon in the present research be compared, it will be noticed that the gray rabbit or Belgian hare, which is more resistant than the other varieties employed, stands more caffein in proportion to the weight of the body than the other animals. Although the minimum fatal dose was found to be somewhat larger for the guinea pig than for the gray rabbit when caffein was injected intraperitoneally, it was on the contrary smaller by other patlis of introduction, and approximated quite closely the minimum fatal dose for rabbits of the other varieties. Cats as well as dogs were found to be distinctly less resistant to caffein than the herbivora. There are a number of factors far more important than zoological differences which influence the toxicity of caffein. Some of these are age, season, and pathologic conditions. As these factors have already been dwelt upon in their appropriate places, further discus- sion might seem unnecessary, but o\ving to their importance in deter- mining the action of a drug, emphasis is desirable. Especially is this the case with pathological conditions in relation to toxicity. Wli'Je no positive proof of diminished resistance to caffein in pathological conditions was obtained by subjecting the suggestion to experimental test, it was observed in these experiments on rabbits that death occurred in some individuals after small doses wliich are usually not even toxic. The findings at autopsy indicate the presence of patho- logical conditions. The same was observed in some experiments on cats and dogs. It is extremely probable, therefore, that disease modifies the reaction of the organism to caffein as well as to other drugs.^^ That the resistance to drugs may var}' according to the age of the subject has been maintained by a number of pharmacologists. Accord- ing to Guinard,' j'oung dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs are very sus- ceptible to morpliin, resembhng children in this regard. The mini- mum fatal dose for these animals is about one-third less than for the a A case of accidental poisoning reported recently by Wlchura (Munich, Med. VVoch., 1911, No. 30, p. 1618) throws some doubt on the accepted view that the sa^ceptibllity of young children to morphin is greater than that of adults. Wlchura also found that the therapeutic doses of codein preparations ordi- narily recommended lor children in pleuritic cough are not eSective In this condition.