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
Extensive investigations on the action of caffein were carried out by
Leblond(50) (1883), who studied its effect on the circulation in man
and lower animals, and its toxicity in the lower animals alone. Five
to twenty centigrams of caffein and 0.06 to 0.25 gram of salicylate
of soda were dissolved and injected into the muscles of the thigh
of young guinea pigs weighing a little over 300 grams. In the three
experiments reported the death of the animals occurred after 23
minutes, 40 minutes, and 1 hour and 20 minutes. Symptoms appeared in
from 10 to 15 minutes after the injection of caffein. Incoordination of
movements, convulsions, both tonic and clonic, opisthotonos, tremors,
increased frequency of respiration, ataxia, paralysis were the symptoms
observed. It is worthy of note that the appearance of paresis preceded
the convulsions. Diminished sensation was reported in one pig, but no
sensory disturbances nor reflexes had been observed in the other. Two
rabbits, one of which received 0.5 and the other about 0.3 gram of
caffein per kilo with equal parts of salicylate of soda, were injected
subcutaneously into the thigh. Diminished sensation, paresis of the
posterior extremities, hyperexcitability, convulsions, opisthotonos,
dilation of the veins of the ear were observed. Death followed in 1
hour and 23 minutes in one rabbit and in 3 hours and 7 minutes in the
other.
Filehne(22) (1886) experimented with caffein on _Rana esculenta_ and
_Rana temporaria_. The subcutaneous injection of 7 mg of caffein into
_Rana esculenta_ caused tetanus, while 50 mg given by mouth caused
tonic spasms. He further stated that the difference between _Rana
esculenta_ and _Rana temporaria_ as regards the reaction to caffein was
one of degree only.
Amat(3) (1889) reported experiments on three guinea pigs, in which 0.4
to 0.5 gram per kilo injected subcutaneously proved fatal within 38 and
44 minutes. One guinea pig which received 0.1 gram of caffein per kilo
survived. The symptoms observed in the two fatal cases were general
muscular rigidity and convulsions.
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