The Toxicity of Caffein: An experimental study on different species of animalsSalant, William
Science
The Toxicity of Caffein: An experimental study on different species of animals
Salant, William
Caffeine -- Physiological effect
_Rabbit 226. Gray male. Diet, carrots._
October 28: Weight, 1,045 grams; 10 cc 2 per cent caffein injected
subcutaneously at 1.50 p. m.; 4.30 p. m., tremors observed, but no
other symptoms.
October 29: Rabbit in good condition.
November 1: Weight, 950 grams; 10.55 a. m., 11 cc 2 per cent caffein
injected subcutaneously (231 mg per kilo).
November 4: Weight, 930 grams; 2.50 p. m., 12 cc 2 per cent caffein
injected subcutaneously (258 mg caffein per kilo).
November 6: Weight, 945 grams; 11.45 a. m., 15 cc 2 per cent caffein
(313 mg per kilo) injected subcutaneously.
November 17: Rabbit still alive; weight, 890 grams.
The results of these experiments indicate that when sufficient time is
allowed between two successive injections, susceptibility to caffein
is not increased. The rabbit, on the contrary, seems to acquire a
tolerance for the drug, for the fourth dose was 15 per cent larger than
the minimum fatal dose of caffein. This is in all probability due to
the better elimination of caffein and its products of decomposition and
to recovery from the deleterious effects of each dose, made possible by
long intervals between injections.
The results of these experiments may be briefly summed up by stating
that subminimum doses of caffein given to the rabbit daily or at
intervals (not too long) do not produce any symptoms such as were
observed in acute caffein intoxication, namely, increased reflexes
and convulsions, or increased rate of respiration, thus showing that
it is not cumulative. But evidence of undoubted summation of effect
was adduced to show that if the administration of subminimum doses of
caffein be continued daily for a period of 11 to 18 days the result
is fatal. Tolerance, however, may be acquired, although to a limited
extent only, provided sufficiently long intervals between injections
are allowed to give time for repair of the injury done by the drug and
to develop a mechanism for its better decomposition and elimination.
Furthermore, the evidence just given indicates that the elimination
of subminimum doses of caffein and its products of decomposition
is probably accomplished within 24 hours or thereabouts. That the
elimination of larger doses is not accomplished in this interval is
made probable by the following experiment:
_Gray rabbit 455. Female. Diet, oats._
October 12: Weight, 1,185 grams; 3.30 p. m., 11.5 cc 2 of per cent
caffein injected into the lumbar muscles; 3 p. m., reflexes increased.
October 13: 10 a. m., rabbit weighed 1,070 grams; no symptoms of
caffein poisoning, reflexes normal; 10.30 a. m., 10 cc 2 per cent
caffein injected into the lumbar muscles; 11.30 a. m., rabbit jumped
off the table, had convulsions, and died.
EXPERIMENTS ON DOGS.
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